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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,056 in Surinam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,730 in Surinam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,403 in Surinam.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 116% more expensive than in Surinam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Surinam is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$6.44 MUR 304

144.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$44.31 MUR 2,092

43.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$7.26 MUR 343

43.94%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$2.54 MUR 120

14.57%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.00 MUR 47.39

129.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.59 MUR 28.09

154.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$2.14 MUR 101

66.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$3.24 MUR 153

22.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.69 MUR 79.9

-36.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.71 MUR 33.39

147.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.29 MUR 60.7

31.78%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$2.33 MUR 110

39.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$12.10 MUR 571

9.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$6.16 MUR 291

25.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$12.75 MUR 602

23.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.98 MUR 93.4

15.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.99 MUR 94.0

-16.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.45 MUR 68.6

39.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$2.74 MUR 130

-9.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.03 MUR 48.56

73.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.00 MUR 47.40

107.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.85 MUR 40.04

131.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.74 MUR 35.04

12.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$6.77 MUR 319

-3.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$8.57 MUR 405

-35.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.72 MUR 81.1

-22.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$2.26 MUR 107

33.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.99 MUR 46.93

129.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$4.45 MUR 210

-4.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$2.60 MUR 123

-67.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$19.94 MUR 942

-5.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.47 MUR 69.3

37.41%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$36.2K MUR 1.7M

-3.38%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$29.2K MUR 1.4M

35.92%

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

$148 €129

$49.79 MUR 2,351

197.11%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$18.39 MUR 868

11.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$32.94 MUR 1,556

19.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$37.87 MUR 1,788

27.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$6.09 MUR 288

49.43%

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

$615 €536

$156 MUR 7,354

294.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$3,977 MUR 187.8K

309.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$84.2 MUR 3,975

20.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$78.3 MUR 3,697

-46.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$133 MUR 6,269

-30.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$95.3 MUR 4,499

28.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$505 MUR 23.8K

219.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$353 MUR 16.6K

255.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$930 MUR 43.9K

230.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$724 MUR 34.2K

181.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Surinam: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $505 in Surinam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $44.00 in Surinam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $233 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 116% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,056 including rent). Surinam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,420 in Lisbon and $1,584 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $505 in Surinam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $1,056 in Surinam – a 116% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,056 in Surinam versus $2,280 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 116% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.