Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Thanjavur Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Thanjavur

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $415 in Thanjavur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $640 in Thanjavur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $866 in Thanjavur.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 437% more expensive than Thanjavur, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Thanjavur is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$2.13 ₹202

659.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$7.47 ₹709

764.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$4.11 ₹390

152.55%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.20 ₹209

25.91%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.43 ₹40.44

423.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.18 ₹17.37

772.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$0.83 ₹79.1

320.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.96 ₹376

1.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.59 ₹56.0

83.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.50 ₹47.38

248.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.67 ₹63.2

159.70%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$0.73 ₹69.4

335.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$7.34 ₹697

82.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$2.24 ₹212

256.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.94 ₹279

-22.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$0.80 ₹76.3

115.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.26 ₹120

53.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$0.50 ₹47.37

408.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.50 ₹47.86

266.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.51 ₹48.53

300.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.60 ₹57.1

230.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.32 ₹30.79

165.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$3.73 ₹355

83.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$7.73 ₹734

-25.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.43 ₹135

-4.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$3.50 ₹332

-17.14%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.27 ₹595

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.30 ₹28.84

660.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$8.58 ₹815

445.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$1.13 ₹108

261.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$1.70 ₹162

974.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.16 ₹110

73.28%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$17.6K ₹1.7M

99.91%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$24.2K ₹2.3M

58.95%

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

$145 €124

$46.26 ₹4,392

214.31%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$4.88 ₹463

329.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$9.57 ₹909

318.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$15.87 ₹1,507

207.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$7.03 ₹668

165.86%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$2.83 ₹269

220.14%

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

$607 €519

$79.0 ₹7,498

668.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$1,740 ₹165.2K

838.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$25.95 ₹2,463

303.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$22.38 ₹2,125

82.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$49.83 ₹4,731

87.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$29.55 ₹2,805

301.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$122 ₹11.6K

1217.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$76.6 ₹7,276

1512.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$272 ₹25.9K

1018.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$184 ₹17.4K

1020.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,073 ₹101.9K

618.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$552 ₹52.4K

672.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$213 ₹20.3K

642.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

9.31

-59.08%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Thanjavur: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $122 in Thanjavur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 642% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $7.00 in Thanjavur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $115 per month, with Thanjavur 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 Thanjavur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Thanjavur differ by about 437% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $415 including rent). Thanjavur is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 642% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $122 in Thanjavur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $79.0 in Thanjavur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 135% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $415 in Thanjavur versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Thanjavur but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Thanjavur 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 Thanjavur 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 Thanjavur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 437% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.