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: $463 in Thika versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $786 in Thika versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,109 in Thika versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Thika costs roughly 79% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.40 KES 699

$15.91 €13.80

-66.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.52 KES 4,982

$64.8 €56.2

-40.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.99 KES 903

$10.51 €9.12

-33.49%

Cappuccino

$2.47 KES 319

$2.87 €2.49

-13.94%

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

$0.74 KES 95.7

$2.24 €1.95

-66.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 KES 64.7

$1.50 €1.30

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 KES 216

$3.49 €3.03

-52.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 KES 254

$3.88 €3.37

-49.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 KES 121

$1.14 €0.99

-17.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 KES 57.3

$1.75 €1.52

-74.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 KES 171

$1.76 €1.52

-25.00%

Eggs

$1.36 KES 176

$3.22 €2.79

-57.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 KES 1,523

$13.49 €11.70

-12.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 KES 877

$7.91 €6.87

-14.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.89 KES 244

$15.87 €13.77

-88.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 KES 399

$2.31 €2.00

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 KES 139

$1.70 €1.48

-37.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 KES 280

$2.01 €1.74

7.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 KES 135

$2.46 €2.13

-57.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 KES 140

$1.84 €1.60

-41.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 KES 150

$2.00 €1.74

-42.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 KES 83.9

$1.93 €1.67

-66.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 KES 103

$0.79 €0.68

1.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 KES 293

$6.61 €5.73

-65.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.94 KES 769

$5.72 €4.97

3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 KES 226

$1.37 €1.18

27.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 256

$2.97 €2.58

-33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 KES 199

$4.29 €3.72

-64.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 KES 204

$0.82 €0.71

92.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 KES 376

$18.30 €15.88

-84.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 KES 132

$2.06 €1.79

-50.49%

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

$21.8K KES 2.8M

$34.3K €29.7K

-36.44%

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

$19.8K KES 2.6M

$39.3K €34.1K

-49.60%

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

$35.00 KES 4,527

$148 €128

-76.33%

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

$16.95 KES 2,192

$20.52 €17.80

-17.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.53 KES 5,112

$39.61 €34.37

-0.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.51

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 KES 812

$9.18 €7.97

-31.59%

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

$203 KES 26.2K

$614 €533

-67.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,055 KES 1.0M

$16.0K €13.9K

-49.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.17 KES 2,350

$105 €90.8

-82.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.40 KES 3,155

$42.06 €36.49

-41.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.6 KES 8,489

$94.0 €81.5

-30.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.3 KES 7,407

$120 €104

-52.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,629

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,753

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$619 KES 80.1K

$7,800 €6,766

-92.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,707

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

3.81

201.84%

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

Last update for Thika: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $39.00 in Thika vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $177 vs $269 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 377% in total monthly costs ($463 vs $2,210 including rent). Thika is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $694 in Thika and $3,315 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $463 per month in Thika versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 377% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $463 in Thika versus $2,210 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 377% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.