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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $498 in Thimphu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $762 in Thimphu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,026 in Thimphu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 355% more expensive than in Thimphu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.13

$2.58 BTN 218

580.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$14.16 BTN 1,195

355.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$3.66 BTN 309

218.31%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.35 BTN 114

141.48%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.50 BTN 42.46

398.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.17 BTN 14.71

882.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.59 BTN 219

33.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.15 BTN 182

66.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$0.79 BTN 67.1

49.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.08 BTN 91.1

80.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$0.99 BTN 83.2

57.58%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.90 BTN 161

111.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.45

$3.86 BTN 326

243.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$4.15 BTN 350

102.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$4.03 BTN 341

352.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.55 BTN 215

-9.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.60 BTN 135

8.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.65 BTN 140

16.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.28

$0.77 BTN 64.7

242.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.61 BTN 51.1

211.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.68 BTN 57.2

210.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.41 BTN 34.48

251.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.31 BTN 26.36

158.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.06 BTN 342

72.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$2.83 BTN 239

109.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$0.59 BTN 49.95

130.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.36 BTN 115

58.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.76 BTN 63.9

213.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.86

$5.17 BTN 437

794.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.81 BTN 68.0

417.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.56 BTN 131

-29.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$0.16 BTN 13.21

10687.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$0.76 BTN 64.2

196.05%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$15.6K BTN 1.3M

166.89%

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

$171 €147

$35.21 BTN 2,972

385.32%

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

$19.01 €16.39

$37.08 BTN 3,130

-48.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.56

$24.61 BTN 2,077

39.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.81

$47.48 BTN 4,008

4.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.82

$7.65 BTN 645

155.03%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$3.20 BTN 270

215.62%

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

$699 €603

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$573 BTN 48.3K

3002.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.36

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$68.8 BTN 5,805

48.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$14.56 BTN 1,229

781.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,433

$131 BTN 11.1K

1168.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$88.2 BTN 7,448

1291.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,514

$192 BTN 16.2K

1420.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,745

$157 BTN 13.3K

1187.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,010

$6,846 BTN 577.9K

18.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,997

$394 BTN 33.3K

1075.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$356 BTN 30.1K

354.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Thimphu: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $131 in Thimphu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 355% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $14.00 in Thimphu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $127 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 355% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $498 including rent). Thimphu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 355% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $131 in Thimphu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 121% 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 $498 in Thimphu – a 355% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $498 in Thimphu versus $2,268 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 355% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.