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: $1,015 in Paramaribo versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,740 in Paramaribo versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,464 in Paramaribo versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Paramaribo costs roughly 54% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Paramaribo is 24% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.42 SRD 311

$15.91 €13.69

-47.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.33 SRD 1,598

$64.8 €55.7

-33.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 SRD 381

$10.51 €9.04

-1.81%

Cappuccino

$2.66 SRD 98.1

$2.87 €2.47

-7.32%

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

$1.18 SRD 43.71

$2.24 €1.93

-47.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 SRD 28.97

$1.50 €1.29

-47.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 SRD 109

$3.49 €3.00

-15.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 SRD 154

$3.88 €3.34

7.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SRD 66.5

$1.14 €0.98

57.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 SRD 46.65

$1.75 €1.51

-28.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 SRD 61.8

$1.76 €1.51

-5.11%

Eggs

$3.46 SRD 128

$3.22 €2.77

7.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 SRD 465

$13.49 €11.61

-6.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 SRD 211

$7.91 €6.81

-27.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.77 SRD 361

$15.87 €13.65

-38.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 SRD 162

$2.31 €1.99

90.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 SRD 72.5

$1.70 €1.46

15.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 SRD 120

$2.01 €1.73

61.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 SRD 203

$2.46 €2.12

123.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SRD 47.11

$1.84 €1.59

-30.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 SRD 74.2

$2.00 €1.72

0.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 SRD 70.3

$1.93 €1.66

-1.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 SRD 56.3

$0.79 €0.68

93.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.71 SRD 211

$6.61 €5.68

-13.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 SRD 289

$5.72 €4.92

37.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 SRD 81.7

$1.37 €1.17

61.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 SRD 121

$2.97 €2.56

10.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 SRD 16.68

$2.37 €2.04

-81.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.4 SRD 3,370

$45.56 €39.19

100.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 SRD 111

$4.29 €3.69

-29.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 SRD 90.7

$0.82 €0.70

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.93 SRD 366

$18.30 €15.74

-45.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 SRD 41.87

$2.06 €1.78

-44.66%

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

$25.1K SRD 925.9K

$34.3K €29.5K

-26.78%

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

$25.3K SRD 931.6K

$39.3K €33.8K

-35.73%

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

$39.72 SRD 1,465

$148 €127

-73.14%

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

$25.69 SRD 948

$20.52 €17.65

25.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.40 SRD 1,085

$39.61 €34.08

-25.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.83 SRD 473

$47.85 €41.16

-73.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 SRD 745

$18.92 €16.28

6.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.57 SRD 169

$9.18 €7.90

-50.22%

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

$63.4 SRD 2,338

$614 €528

-89.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,939 SRD 71.5K

$16.0K €13.8K

-87.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.87 SRD 1,323

$105 €90.0

-65.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.12 SRD 1,037

$42.06 €36.18

-33.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 SRD 2,816

$94.0 €80.8

-18.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 SRD 4,107

$120 €103

-6.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 SRD 18.3K

$1,628 €1,400

-69.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 SRD 7,878

$1,255 €1,080

-82.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 SRD 40.1K

$3,030 €2,607

-64.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 SRD 21.0K

$2,020 €1,738

-71.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$479 SRD 17.7K

$7,800 €6,709

-93.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$395 SRD 14.6K

$4,273 €3,675

-90.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$278 SRD 10.3K

$1,603 €1,379

-82.65%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $496 in Paramaribo and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 476% 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 $65.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $269, 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 118% in total monthly costs ($1,015 vs $2,210 including rent). Paramaribo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 476% less. 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: $496 in Paramaribo versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $63.4 in Paramaribo versus $614 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 $1,015 in Paramaribo versus $2,210 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 118% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.