Cost of Living Comparison Between Paramaribo and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Paramaribo and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $999 in Paramaribo versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,716 in Paramaribo versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,433 in Paramaribo versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Paramaribo costs roughly 56% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Paramaribo is 25% below, Lisbon is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.27 SRD 310

$16.19 €14.17

-48.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.85 SRD 1,606

$63.3 €55.4

-32.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 SRD 397

$10.32 €9.03

2.52%

Cappuccino

$2.70 SRD 101

$2.83 €2.48

-4.59%

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

$1.24 SRD 46.36

$2.29 €2.00

-45.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 SRD 31.04

$1.58 €1.38

-47.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 SRD 115

$3.40 €2.98

-9.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 SRD 150

$4.03 €3.52

-0.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SRD 64.6

$1.09 €0.95

57.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 SRD 47.88

$1.75 €1.53

-26.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 SRD 62.6

$1.76 €1.54

-5.11%

Eggs

$3.50 SRD 131

$3.17 €2.77

10.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.35 SRD 463

$13.19 €11.54

-6.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.55 SRD 208

$7.97 €6.97

-30.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 SRD 369

$15.53 €13.59

-36.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 SRD 167

$2.37 €2.07

87.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 SRD 76.6

$1.71 €1.49

19.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 SRD 117

$2.01 €1.76

55.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.39 SRD 202

$2.43 €2.13

121.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SRD 48.16

$1.76 €1.54

-27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 SRD 78.1

$2.03 €1.78

2.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 SRD 69.0

$1.92 €1.68

-4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 SRD 55.6

$0.85 €0.74

74.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.58 SRD 209

$6.58 €5.76

-15.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 SRD 297

$5.58 €4.88

41.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 SRD 85.3

$1.33 €1.17

71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 SRD 124

$2.97 €2.60

11.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 SRD 17.19

$2.28 €1.99

-79.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 SRD 3,352

$45.79 €40.06

95.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 SRD 112

$4.23 €3.70

-29.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.54 SRD 95.3

$0.81 €0.71

213.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.07 SRD 377

$18.44 €16.13

-45.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 SRD 41.23

$2.08 €1.82

-47.12%

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

$24.6K SRD 920.9K

$34.7K €30.3K

-29.15%

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

$25.3K SRD 947.6K

$39.2K €34.3K

-35.45%

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

$39.43 SRD 1,478

$148 €130

-73.37%

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

$26.19 SRD 982

$20.46 €17.90

28.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.06 SRD 1,089

$39.56 €34.61

-26.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.67 SRD 475

$47.99 €41.99

-73.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.82 SRD 743

$18.60 €16.27

6.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.58 SRD 172

$9.22 €8.07

-50.33%

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

$61.8 SRD 2,317

$616 €539

-89.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,950 SRD 73.1K

$16.4K €14.4K

-88.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.10 SRD 1,353

$103 €89.9

-64.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 SRD 1,083

$41.74 €36.52

-30.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 SRD 2,822

$94.8 €82.9

-20.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 SRD 4,133

$122 €107

-9.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 SRD 18.9K

$1,633 €1,428

-69.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 SRD 8,128

$1,232 €1,078

-82.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 SRD 40.9K

$3,098 €2,711

-64.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 SRD 21.3K

$2,031 €1,777

-72.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$465 SRD 17.4K

$7,831 €6,851

-94.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$407 SRD 15.2K

$4,389 €3,840

-90.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$276 SRD 10.3K

$1,607 €1,406

-82.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

319.95%

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

Last update for Paramaribo: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Paramaribo and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 482% 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: $43.00 in Paramaribo vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $267, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Paramaribo vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Paramaribo and Lisbon differ by about 129% in total monthly costs ($999 vs $2,291 including rent). Paramaribo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 482% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Paramaribo versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $61.8 in Paramaribo versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $999 in Paramaribo versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Paramaribo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Paramaribo 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, Paramaribo and Lisbon 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 Paramaribo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.