Cost of Living Comparison Between Thika and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Thika and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $516 in Thika versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $873 in Thika versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,229 in Thika versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Thika costs roughly 78% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Thika is 62% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 KES 456

$17.30 €14.89

-79.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.14 KES 4,546

$63.3 €54.4

-44.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.32 KES 818

$11.39 €9.80

-44.51%

Cappuccino

$1.91 KES 247

$3.19 €2.75

-40.13%

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

$0.29 KES 38.12

$2.45 €2.10

-88.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 KES 72.0

$1.76 €1.52

-68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 KES 256

$3.59 €3.09

-44.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 KES 282

$3.39 €2.92

-35.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 KES 89.4

$1.24 €1.06

-44.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 KES 61.4

$1.98 €1.71

-76.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 KES 150

$1.52 €1.31

-23.68%

Eggs

$1.41 KES 182

$4.04 €3.48

-65.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 KES 1,343

$13.54 €11.65

-23.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.17 KES 798

$8.39 €7.22

-26.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.01 KES 518

$18.25 €15.70

-78.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 KES 202

$2.29 €1.97

-31.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.61 KES 78.6

$1.74 €1.50

-64.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.79 KES 102

$1.86 €1.60

-57.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 KES 140

$2.63 €2.26

-58.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 KES 48.55

$1.92 €1.65

-80.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 KES 57.7

$2.09 €1.80

-78.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 KES 92.9

$1.44 €1.24

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 KES 48.90

$0.84 €0.72

-54.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 KES 348

$6.78 €5.83

-60.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 KES 757

$5.71 €4.91

2.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 KES 228

$1.38 €1.18

28.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 KES 243

$2.22 €1.91

-15.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 KES 196

$4.17 €3.59

-63.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 KES 122

$1.14 €0.98

-17.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 KES 365

$17.68 €15.21

-84.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 KES 185

$2.32 €2.00

-38.36%

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

$20.2K KES 2.6M

$35.3K €30.4K

-42.91%

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

$19.5K KES 2.5M

$41.4K €35.7K

-53.06%

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

$35.13 KES 4,545

$170 €147

-79.38%

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

$15.08 KES 1,951

$19.34 €16.64

-22.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.87 KES 4,511

$33.64 €28.95

3.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.65 KES 5,906

$48.10 €41.39

-5.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 KES 1,006

$9.92 €8.54

-21.57%

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

$54.5 KES 7,046

$717 €617

-92.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,434 KES 444.2K

$17.5K €15.0K

-80.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.79 KES 3,466

$105 €90.2

-74.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.35 KES 3,409

$46.95 €40.40

-43.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.0 KES 8,146

$103 €89.0

-39.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$19.58 KES 2,533

$124 €107

-84.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$100 KES 13.0K

$1,677 €1,443

-94.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$57.8 KES 7,471

$1,271 €1,094

-95.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 KES 35.0K

$2,985 €2,568

-90.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 KES 23.2K

$1,992 €1,715

-90.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$625 KES 80.9K

$7,826 €6,734

-92.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

3.79

288.13%

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

Last update for Thika: August 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $100 in Thika and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Thika vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $150 vs $283 per month, with Thika 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

Thika vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thika and Lisbon differ by about 349% in total monthly costs ($516 vs $2,316 including rent). Thika is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $774 in Thika and $3,474 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $100 in Thika versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $516 per month in Thika versus $2,316 in Lisbon – a 349% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $516 in Thika versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Thika but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Thika 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, Thika 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 Thika gentler on the wallet – expenses run 349% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.