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: $1,071 in Paramaribo versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,782 in Paramaribo versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,493 in Paramaribo versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Paramaribo costs roughly 54% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Paramaribo is 22% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 SRD 490

$17.30 €14.93

-24.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 SRD 1,976

$63.3 €54.6

-16.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 SRD 420

$11.39 €9.83

-1.84%

Cappuccino

$2.89 SRD 109

$3.19 €2.75

-9.40%

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

$1.42 SRD 53.4

$2.45 €2.11

-42.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 SRD 32.32

$1.76 €1.52

-51.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 SRD 98.7

$3.59 €3.10

-26.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 SRD 145

$3.39 €2.93

13.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 SRD 69.2

$1.24 €1.07

48.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 SRD 50.2

$1.98 €1.71

-32.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 SRD 59.8

$1.52 €1.31

4.61%

Eggs

$2.96 SRD 111

$4.04 €3.49

-26.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.96 SRD 411

$13.54 €11.68

-19.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 SRD 236

$8.39 €7.24

-24.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.42 SRD 391

$18.25 €15.75

-42.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 SRD 181

$2.29 €1.98

110.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 SRD 91.0

$1.74 €1.50

39.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 SRD 137

$1.86 €1.60

95.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.15 SRD 231

$2.63 €2.27

133.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 SRD 52.7

$1.92 €1.65

-27.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 SRD 72.5

$2.09 €1.81

-7.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 SRD 55.8

$1.44 €1.24

3.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SRD 56.8

$0.84 €0.73

79.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 SRD 219

$6.78 €5.85

-14.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 SRD 303

$5.71 €4.93

41.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 SRD 77.6

$1.38 €1.19

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 SRD 144

$2.22 €1.91

72.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 SRD 29.38

$2.40 €2.07

-67.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SRD 3,326

$46.78 €40.37

89.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 SRD 114

$4.17 €3.60

-27.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 SRD 74.4

$1.14 €0.98

73.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.05 SRD 377

$17.68 €15.26

-43.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 SRD 42.33

$2.32 €2.01

-51.29%

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

$25.3K SRD 948.2K

$35.3K €30.5K

-28.54%

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

$25.0K SRD 938.3K

$41.4K €35.8K

-39.71%

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

$38.04 SRD 1,428

$170 €147

-77.67%

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

$25.85 SRD 971

$19.34 €16.69

33.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.37 SRD 1,141

$33.64 €29.03

-9.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.40 SRD 466

$48.10 €41.50

-74.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.01 SRD 714

$19.90 €17.17

-4.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 SRD 170

$9.92 €8.56

-54.33%

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

$63.7 SRD 2,392

$717 €619

-91.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,777 SRD 66.7K

$17.5K €15.1K

-89.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.89 SRD 1,423

$105 €90.4

-63.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.05 SRD 1,016

$46.95 €40.51

-42.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.0 SRD 2,740

$103 €89.2

-29.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 SRD 3,895

$124 €107

-16.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 SRD 18.4K

$1,677 €1,447

-70.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$261 SRD 9,788

$1,271 €1,097

-79.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 SRD 43.1K

$2,985 €2,575

-61.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 SRD 18.8K

$1,992 €1,719

-74.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$476 SRD 17.9K

$7,826 €6,753

-93.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$398 SRD 14.9K

$4,658 €4,019

-91.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$285 SRD 10.7K

$1,583 €1,366

-82.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

322.16%

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

Last update for Paramaribo: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $491 in Paramaribo and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 456% 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: $53.0 in Paramaribo vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $296 vs $283, 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 116% in total monthly costs ($1,071 vs $2,316 including rent). Paramaribo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 456% 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: $491 in Paramaribo versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $63.7 in Paramaribo versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,071 in Paramaribo versus $2,316 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 116% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.