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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $363 in Thanjavur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $575 in Thanjavur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $786 in Thanjavur.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 533% more expensive than in Thanjavur, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Thanjavur is 73% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$1.92 ₹184

816.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$6.34 ₹608

891.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$4.08 ₹391

183.82%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.74 ₹167

78.16%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.37 ₹35.53

572.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.19 ₹18.58

815.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$0.76 ₹73.0

357.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.17 ₹304

8.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$0.59 ₹56.6

94.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.54 ₹51.5

253.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.65 ₹62.1

130.77%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$0.68 ₹65.0

485.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$6.10 ₹586

117.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$2.13 ₹204

276.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.77 ₹266

-15.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.77 ₹74.1

127.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.42 ₹136

30.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$0.43 ₹41.07

493.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.47 ₹44.85

291.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.43 ₹41.20

388.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.53 ₹51.1

181.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.29 ₹27.97

182.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$3.36 ₹323

111.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$7.46 ₹716

-20.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.27 ₹122

3.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.70 ₹259

-21.11%

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

$6.40 ₹614

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.24 ₹23.05

883.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$6.65 ₹638

601.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.06 ₹102

284.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.35 ₹33.66

225.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$2.15 ₹206

694.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.06 ₹102

117.92%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$15.4K ₹1.5M

121.90%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$20.6K ₹2.0M

101.12%

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

$169 €147

$38.67 ₹3,710

335.87%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$3.89 ₹373

396.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$7.89 ₹757

324.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$13.97 ₹1,341

249.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$6.30 ₹604

208.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$2.43 ₹233

293.83%

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

$696 €607

$91.3 ₹8,758

662.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$2,154 ₹206.6K

705.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$20.31 ₹1,948

418.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$16.52 ₹1,585

189.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$35.13 ₹3,371

186.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$26.26 ₹2,519

373.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$122 ₹11.7K

1258.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$73.1 ₹7,014

1604.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$263 ₹25.2K

1027.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$173 ₹16.6K

1084.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$890 ₹85.4K

780.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$545 ₹52.3K

718.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$209 ₹20.1K

680.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

9.88

-61.74%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Thanjavur: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $122 in Thanjavur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 680% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $6.00 in Thanjavur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $106 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 533% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $363 including rent). Thanjavur is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 680% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $122 in Thanjavur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $91.3 in Thanjavur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 160% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $363 in Thanjavur versus $2,296 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 533% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.