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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,073 in Surinam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,735 in Surinam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,396 in Surinam.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 111% more expensive than in Surinam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Surinam is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$5.80 MUR 272

202.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$37.74 MUR 1,766

70.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.36 MUR 344

58.29%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.69 MUR 126

21.19%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.19 MUR 55.7

109.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.65 MUR 30.44

156.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.72 MUR 127

27.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.70 MUR 220

-23.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.59 MUR 74.6

-25.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.80 MUR 37.31

143.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.16 MUR 54.2

34.48%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.67 MUR 125

50.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$5.36 MUR 251

147.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$6.29 MUR 294

33.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$11.14 MUR 521

63.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.87 MUR 134

-19.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.68 MUR 125

-35.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.44 MUR 67.6

34.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.05 MUR 143

-13.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.00 MUR 46.58

90.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.03 MUR 48.03

104.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.74 MUR 34.86

94.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.85 MUR 39.57

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$6.57 MUR 307

6.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$8.44 MUR 395

-29.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.71 MUR 79.9

-20.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.38 MUR 111

-9.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$4.15 MUR 194

0.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$3.13 MUR 147

-64.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$20.94 MUR 980

-17.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.40 MUR 65.4

60.71%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$36.4K MUR 1.7M

-5.44%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$31.2K MUR 1.5M

33.44%

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

$171 €147

$45.64 MUR 2,136

274.41%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$10.66 MUR 499

78.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$29.44 MUR 1,378

16.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$34.75 MUR 1,626

42.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$6.54 MUR 306

54.43%

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

$699 €603

$128 MUR 6,002

445.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$7,840 MUR 366.9K

126.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$76.7 MUR 3,590

36.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$74.5 MUR 3,485

-35.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$119 MUR 5,570

-14.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$77.2 MUR 3,615

66.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$568 MUR 26.6K

192.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$403 MUR 18.9K

204.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,128 MUR 52.8K

158.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$854 MUR 40.0K

136.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.67

-43.33%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Surinam: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $568 in Surinam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $38.00 in Surinam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $220 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 111% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,073 including rent). Surinam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,402 in Lisbon and $1,609 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $568 in Surinam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $1,073 in Surinam – a 111% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,073 in Surinam versus $2,268 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 111% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.