Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Changshu and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Changshu: $712 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Changshu
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Changshu Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Changshu

🇨🇳 China

$712

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Changshu and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Changshu and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in Changshu versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Changshu $712
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,128 in Changshu versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Changshu $1,128
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,544 in Changshu versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Changshu $1,544
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Changshu costs roughly 68% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Changshu is 47% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.83 ¥18.91

$16.50 €14.67

-82.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.95 ¥147

$61.3 €54.5

-64.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 ¥32.85

$11.27 €10.03

-56.43%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ¥19.60

$3.06 €2.72

-4.25%

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

$0.46 ¥3.08

$2.26 €2.01

-79.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$1.73 €1.54

-84.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 ¥5.82

$3.39 €3.02

-74.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ¥13.66

$3.40 €3.02

-40.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.59

$1.12 €1.00

67.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.38

$1.86 €1.65

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.97

$1.53 €1.36

-41.83%

Eggs

$1.58 ¥10.58

$3.96 €3.53

-60.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.80 ¥85.6

$12.76 €11.35

0.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 ¥21.10

$7.90 €7.02

-60.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.02 ¥67.0

$16.97 €15.09

-40.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ¥12.49

$2.27 €2.02

-17.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$1.75 €1.55

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.37

$1.85 €1.64

-16.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.70

$2.57 €2.28

-55.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.66

$1.86 €1.65

-62.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.33

$2.02 €1.80

-52.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.72

$1.44 €1.28

-61.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.82 €0.73

-37.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 ¥21.52

$6.56 €5.83

-50.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 ¥70.0

$5.62 €5.00

86.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.22

$1.28 €1.14

-39.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.53

$2.07 €1.84

-24.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$2.35 €2.09

-88.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.48 ¥110

$44.18 €39.30

-62.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 ¥9.51

$3.99 €3.55

-64.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.17

$1.09 €0.97

-69.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ¥44.35

$16.64 €14.81

-60.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.52

$2.28 €2.03

-50.88%

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

$19.6K ¥130.7K

$33.7K €30.0K

-41.93%

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

$17.2K ¥115.1K

$39.3K €35.0K

-56.18%

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

$46.01 ¥308

$167 €149

-72.53%

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

$9.96 ¥66.6

$18.80 €16.72

-47.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.63 ¥77.8

$33.09 €29.43

-64.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.09 ¥275

$46.01 €40.93

-10.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.00 ¥93.6

$19.19 €17.07

-27.05%

Cinema Ticket

$5.81 ¥38.83

$9.84 €8.75

-40.96%

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

$329 ¥2,198

$677 €602

-51.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ¥112.9K

$16.9K €15.1K

-0.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.18 ¥289

$101 €90.1

-57.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.03 ¥201

$45.76 €40.70

-34.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 ¥483

$100.0 €88.9

-27.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.7 ¥479

$123 €109

-41.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 ¥1,870

$1,614 €1,436

-82.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ¥1,283

$1,197 €1,065

-83.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 ¥3,995

$2,862 €2,545

-79.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ¥2,385

$1,990 €1,770

-82.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ¥20.0K

$7,577 €6,740

-60.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 ¥13.8K

$4,307 €3,831

-51.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

3.85

1.04%

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

Last update for Changshu: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Changshu

$198 27.8%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 36.3% $72

Accommodation & Living

Changshu

$192 27%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 524% $1K

Clothing & Footwear

Changshu

$98 13.7%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 70.3% $69

Eating Out

Changshu

$84 11.8%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 189% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changshu

$68 9.5%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 225% $152

Sport & Entertainment

Changshu

$53 7.4%

Lisbon

$66 3% 24.6% $13

Getting Around

Changshu

$21 2.9%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 206% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $280 in Changshu and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22.00 in Changshu vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $269 per month, with Changshu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Changshu

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

05:26 5:26 AM

7 h behind Changshu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,677,050

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Changshu Lisbon 10,630 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Changshu
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Changshu vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changshu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 212% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,068 in Changshu and $3,335 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: $280 in Changshu versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Changshu – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $61.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $712 per month in Changshu versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 212% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $712 in Changshu versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changshu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Changshu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Changshu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Changshu 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 Changshu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 212% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.