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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $409 in Thanjavur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $634 in Thanjavur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $859 in Thanjavur.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 453% more expensive than Thanjavur, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Thanjavur is 70% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$2.07 ₹196

670.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$7.31 ₹695

766.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$4.01 ₹381

158.85%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.19 ₹208

27.40%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$0.40 ₹37.80

485.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.17 ₹16.53

823.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$0.79 ₹75.4

334.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$4.14 ₹394

-5.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.63 ₹60.2

71.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.52 ₹49.82

240.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$0.69 ₹65.6

147.83%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$0.70 ₹66.1

350.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$6.96 ₹661

96.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$2.19 ₹208

265.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.90 ₹276

-21.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$0.81 ₹77.4

102.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.29 ₹123

50.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$0.46 ₹43.40

445.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.55 ₹52.2

225.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.54 ₹51.4

272.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.60 ₹56.9

228.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.33 ₹30.93

154.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$3.76 ₹357

80.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$7.71 ₹733

-26.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.42 ₹135

-2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$3.39 ₹322

-10.91%

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

$6.29 ₹598

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.28 ₹26.58

710.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$8.61 ₹819

427.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.17 ₹111

266.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$1.72 ₹164

962.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.17 ₹111

70.09%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$17.4K ₹1.7M

101.64%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$23.8K ₹2.3M

65.93%

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

$146 €126

$47.25 ₹4,494

209.38%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$4.83 ₹459

323.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$9.62 ₹915

305.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$15.69 ₹1,492

212.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$7.06 ₹672

166.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$2.93 ₹278

224.91%

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

$608 €524

$79.6 ₹7,570

663.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$1,759 ₹167.3K

838.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$25.54 ₹2,429

306.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$22.52 ₹2,142

87.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$50.3 ₹4,780

83.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$28.69 ₹2,728

318.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$125 ₹11.9K

1198.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$76.0 ₹7,227

1568.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$278 ₹26.5K

994.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$178 ₹16.9K

1029.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$949 ₹90.3K

707.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$551 ₹52.4K

686.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$210 ₹19.9K

656.24%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Thanjavur: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $125 in Thanjavur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 656% 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 $7.00 in Thanjavur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $114 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 453% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $409 including rent). Thanjavur is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 656% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $125 in Thanjavur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $79.6 in Thanjavur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 136% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $409 in Thanjavur versus $2,263 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 453% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.