Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Thika Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Thika

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $506 in Thika.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $862 in Thika.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,218 in Thika.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 348% more expensive than in Thika, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Thika is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$3.45 KES 446

408.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$34.50 KES 4,461

86.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$6.27 KES 811

85.81%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.90 KES 246

71.58%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.30 KES 38.72

730.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.56 KES 72.8

198.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.98 KES 257

75.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.10 KES 272

70.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$0.69 KES 89.5

71.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.44 KES 57.2

343.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.15 KES 149

35.65%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.41 KES 182

184.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$10.27 KES 1,328

29.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$6.36 KES 822

32.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$3.97 KES 513

359.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.56 KES 201

48.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$0.64 KES 83.2

170.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.81 KES 104

138.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.08 KES 140

144.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.38 KES 48.79

400.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.44 KES 57.5

379.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.73 KES 94.0

97.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.38 KES 48.63

110.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$2.77 KES 359

153.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$5.69 KES 735

4.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.84 KES 238

-26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.98 KES 256

8.59%

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

$1.52 KES 197

175.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.92 KES 119

19.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$2.96 KES 383

483.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.38 KES 179

63.04%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$20.4K KES 2.6M

69.19%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$20.1K KES 2.6M

107.03%

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

$171 €147

$35.10 KES 4,539

386.84%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$15.12 KES 1,955

25.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$35.30 KES 4,564

-2.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$45.51 KES 5,885

9.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$7.65 KES 989

32.03%

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

$699 €603

$53.9 KES 6,967

1197.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$3,541 KES 457.8K

401.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$27.29 KES 3,529

283.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$26.43 KES 3,417

81.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$63.5 KES 8,206

60.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$19.58 KES 2,532

555.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$98.4 KES 12.7K

1587.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$58.7 KES 7,584

1994.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$270 KES 34.9K

979.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$177 KES 22.9K

1041.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$616 KES 79.6K

1219.86%

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

14.71

-74.30%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Thika: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $98.4 in Thika. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Thika for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $150 per month, with Thika 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 Thika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Thika differ by about 348% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $506 including rent). Thika 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 $760 in Thika 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 $98.4 in Thika. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 87% 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 $506 in Thika – a 348% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $506 in Thika versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Thika but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Thika 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 Thika 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 Thika gentler on the wallet – expenses run 348% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.