Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Surinam Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Surinam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,081 in Surinam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,754 in Surinam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,427 in Surinam.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 104% more expensive than Surinam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Surinam is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.81

$6.55 MUR 311

142.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$44.63 MUR 2,116

45.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.12

$7.18 MUR 341

46.38%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$2.59 MUR 123

10.81%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.95

$0.98 MUR 46.27

128.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.57 MUR 26.96

163.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$2.23 MUR 106

56.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$3.39 MUR 161

14.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.67 MUR 79.3

-31.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$0.66 MUR 31.50

165.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.26 MUR 59.9

39.68%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$2.34 MUR 111

37.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.71

$11.94 MUR 566

12.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.87

$6.23 MUR 295

26.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$12.70 MUR 602

24.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.08 MUR 98.6

11.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.97 MUR 93.4

-13.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.44 MUR 68.5

39.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$2.74 MUR 130

-10.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.02 MUR 48.46

80.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$0.95 MUR 45.10

110.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.78 MUR 37.21

147.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.75 MUR 35.35

5.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$6.53 MUR 309

1.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.97

$8.20 MUR 389

-30.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.78 MUR 84.3

-23.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$2.23 MUR 106

33.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$1.00 MUR 47.64

137.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$4.45 MUR 211

-3.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$2.70 MUR 128

-69.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.88

$19.83 MUR 940

-7.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.39 MUR 66.0

48.20%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.3K €29.7K

$35.1K MUR 1.7M

-2.30%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.3K €34.1K

$28.6K MUR 1.4M

37.59%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$148 €128

$50.4 MUR 2,388

193.57%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.52 €17.80

$18.62 MUR 883

10.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.37

$33.52 MUR 1,589

18.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.51

$37.53 MUR 1,779

27.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.97

$5.98 MUR 283

53.51%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$614 €533

$157 MUR 7,443

291.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$3,952 MUR 187.4K

306.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$86.4 MUR 4,098

21.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.49

$81.0 MUR 3,841

-48.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$133 MUR 6,303

-29.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$95.2 MUR 4,511

25.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

$520 MUR 24.6K

213.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

$351 MUR 16.6K

257.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,629

$966 MUR 45.8K

213.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,753

$713 MUR 33.8K

183.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,767

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,707

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.67

-42.88%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Surinam: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $520 in Surinam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $45.00 in Surinam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $231 per month, with Surinam cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Surinam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Surinam differ by about 104% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,081 including rent). Surinam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $1,622 in Surinam to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $520 in Surinam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,081 in Surinam – a 104% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,081 in Surinam versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surinam but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Surinam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Surinam are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Surinam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.