Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheongju and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheongju and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,218 in Cheongju versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,083 in Cheongju versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,948 in Cheongju versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Cheongju costs roughly 47% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cheongju is 11% below, Lisbon is 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.52 ₩10.4K

$17.59 €15.33

-57.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.15 ₩67.7K

$62.9 €54.8

-21.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.08 ₩8,385

$11.58 €10.10

-47.50%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ₩5,122

$3.10 €2.70

20.00%

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

$1.79 ₩2,470

$2.49 €2.17

-28.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 ₩1,969

$1.74 €1.52

-17.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 ₩5,185

$3.48 €3.03

8.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 ₩5,799

$3.44 €3.00

22.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ₩2,842

$1.15 €1.00

79.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 ₩4,334

$1.91 €1.66

64.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 ₩2,608

$1.50 €1.31

26.00%

Eggs

$2.20 ₩3,031

$3.98 €3.47

-44.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.79 ₩14.9K

$13.29 €11.59

-18.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 ₩14.6K

$8.01 €6.98

32.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.05 ₩20.7K

$18.04 €15.73

-16.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 ₩4,166

$2.35 €2.05

28.51%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 ₩4,128

$1.75 €1.53

71.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.32 ₩10.1K

$1.85 €1.62

295.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 ₩8,197

$2.55 €2.22

133.33%

Potato (1kg)

$5.78 ₩7,966

$1.84 €1.61

214.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,591

$2.10 €1.83

58.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 ₩3,816

$1.49 €1.30

85.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₩649

$0.82 €0.71

-42.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ₩4,735

$7.10 €6.19

-51.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.09 ₩20.8K

$5.91 €5.15

155.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ₩2,511

$1.31 €1.15

38.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,142

$2.13 €1.86

7.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,546

$2.36 €2.05

-52.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 ₩3,584

$4.08 €3.55

-36.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 ₩974

$1.14 €0.99

-37.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.54 ₩22.8K

$17.09 €14.90

-3.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₩1,813

$2.31 €2.01

-42.86%

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

$29.1K ₩40.1M

$34.1K €29.7K

-14.82%

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

$33.1K ₩45.6M

$41.4K €36.1K

-20.03%

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

$198 ₩272.5K

$169 €147

17.30%

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

$24.07 ₩33.2K

$19.33 €16.85

24.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.80 ₩20.4K

$33.51 €29.21

-55.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 ₩75.4K

$48.84 €42.57

11.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.74 ₩16.2K

$19.43 €16.94

-39.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.56 ₩10.4K

$9.57 €8.34

-21.00%

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

$631 ₩869.9K

$696 €607

-9.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K ₩30.1M

$17.4K €15.1K

25.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.94 ₩50.9K

$105 €91.8

-64.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.6 ₩90.3K

$47.75 €41.62

37.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 ₩127.7K

$101 €87.6

-7.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₩155.6K

$124 €108

-9.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 ₩387.1K

$1,662 €1,449

-83.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ₩294.7K

$1,246 €1,086

-82.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 ₩1.6M

$2,965 €2,584

-61.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$734 ₩1.0M

$2,049 €1,786

-64.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,177 ₩9.9M

$7,834 €6,829

-8.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,449 ₩7.5M

$4,464 €3,892

22.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,579 ₩3.6M

$1,632 €1,422

58.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

3.78

11.64%

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

Last update for Cheongju: September 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Cheongju and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheongju pays 58% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Cheongju vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $376 vs $277, 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

Cheongju vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cheongju wins on cost – living expenses run 89% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cheongju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 58% higher in Cheongju, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $281 in Cheongju versus $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $631 in Cheongju versus $696 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cheongju – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,218 in Cheongju versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cheongju but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Cheongju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cheongju delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,218 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cheongju hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cheongju 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 Cheongju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.