Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Thimphu Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Thimphu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $455 in Thimphu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $757 in Thimphu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,059 in Thimphu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 386% more expensive than Thimphu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Thimphu is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$2.93 BTN 248

443.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$17.63 BTN 1,488

267.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$3.47 BTN 293

202.88%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.48 BTN 125

93.92%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.48 BTN 40.91

366.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.17 BTN 14.15

782.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.98 BTN 252

17.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.30 BTN 194

68.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.87 BTN 73.1

31.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.95 BTN 79.8

84.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.74 BTN 62.5

137.84%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.00 BTN 169

61.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$3.24 BTN 273

316.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.77 BTN 319

109.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$4.25 BTN 359

273.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.54 BTN 215

-9.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.52 BTN 128

11.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.86 BTN 157

8.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.73 BTN 61.7

236.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.54 BTN 45.20

240.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.62 BTN 52.0

222.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.46 BTN 38.43

319.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.34 BTN 28.88

132.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.76 BTN 317

75.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$3.19 BTN 270

79.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.64 BTN 53.8

114.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.04 BTN 87.4

185.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.71 BTN 144

38.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$4.10 BTN 346

1011.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.85 BTN 71.6

404.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.23 BTN 188

-63.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$0.19 BTN 15.82

9531.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.97 BTN 82.2

112.37%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

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

$39.3K €33.8K

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

$148 €127

$23.29 BTN 1,966

534.91%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$38.02 BTN 3,209

-46.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$27.34 BTN 2,308

44.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$48.52 BTN 4,096

-1.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$7.60 BTN 642

148.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$3.43 BTN 290

167.64%

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

$614 €528

$242 BTN 20.4K

154.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$681 BTN 57.4K

2258.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$9.13 BTN 771

1046.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$11.81 BTN 997

256.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$31.80 BTN 2,685

195.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$31.61 BTN 2,668

278.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$118 BTN 9,925

1284.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$63.5 BTN 5,363

1875.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$203 BTN 17.1K

1394.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$139 BTN 11.7K

1355.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$6,698 BTN 565.4K

16.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$390 BTN 33.0K

994.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$349 BTN 29.4K

359.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

10.75

-64.56%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Thimphu: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $118 in Thimphu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 360% 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 $18.00 in Thimphu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $124 per month, with Thimphu 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 Thimphu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Thimphu differ by about 386% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $455 including rent). Thimphu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 360% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $118 in Thimphu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $242 in Thimphu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 118% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $455 in Thimphu versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Thimphu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Thimphu 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 Thimphu 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 Thimphu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 386% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.