Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Portugal

Name: Portugal
Address: PT

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $800 a month against $1,718 in Portugal, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Portugal
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Portugal Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$800

/mo nomad

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Portugal

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $800 in China versus $1,718 in Portugal.

China $800
Portugal $1,718

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,266 in China versus $2,538 in Portugal.

China $1,266
Portugal $2,538

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,731 in China versus $3,357 in Portugal.

China $1,731
Portugal $3,357

Internal cost variation is higher in Portugal: monthly costs span $1,024 to $2,202, compared to $462–$1,256 in China. City choice carries more weight in Portugal.

Living in China costs about 53% less than in Portugal on average.

China (41% below) and Portugal (27% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.50

$13.58 €12.08

-78.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.45 ¥150

$51.3 €45.64

-56.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 ¥35.65

$10.28 €9.15

-48.15%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.34

$2.09 €1.86

45.45%

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

$0.48 ¥3.23

$2.00 €1.78

-76.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$1.39 €1.24

-78.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.12

$2.85 €2.54

-62.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.11

$3.34 €2.97

-32.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.70

$1.10 €0.98

59.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.80

$1.57 €1.40

3.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.63

$1.57 €1.39

-36.94%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.44

$3.37 €3.00

-53.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 ¥88.6

$11.65 €10.36

13.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.50

$7.32 €6.51

-53.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 ¥76.2

$14.77 €13.13

-22.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.19

$2.27 €2.02

-19.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$1.45 €1.29

-13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.39

$1.77 €1.58

-12.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.55

$2.50 €2.23

-48.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.72

$1.71 €1.52

-58.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.75

$1.90 €1.69

-54.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.36

$1.44 €1.28

-54.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.76 €0.68

-22.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 ¥25.14

$6.23 €5.54

-39.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 ¥78.6

$5.65 €5.03

108.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$1.26 €1.12

-27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.86

$2.30 €2.04

-29.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$2.28 €2.03

-86.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.75 ¥152

$45.60 €40.56

-50.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$3.95 €3.51

-61.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

$1.06 €0.94

-65.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.66

$16.66 €14.82

-56.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$2.09 €1.86

-40.19%

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

$19.4K ¥129.7K

$34.0K €30.2K

-42.91%

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

$17.1K ¥114.4K

$37.3K €33.2K

-54.11%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$138 €123

-59.88%

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

$8.29 ¥55.4

$19.67 €17.50

-57.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.97 ¥73.3

$40.62 €36.13

-72.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.38 ¥270

$41.48 €36.90

-2.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 ¥98.7

$15.95 €14.18

-7.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ¥45.18

$8.73 €7.77

-22.57%

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

$465 ¥3,108

$496 €441

-6.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$11.7K €10.4K

68.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.32 ¥310

$89.5 €79.7

-48.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.30 ¥243

$39.35 €35.00

-7.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 ¥510

$88.3 €78.5

-13.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 ¥527

$99.1 €88.1

-20.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 ¥2,646

$1,016 €904

-61.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ¥1,604

$807 €718

-70.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,499

$1,750 €1,557

-53.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 ¥3,116

$1,310 €1,165

-64.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,544 ¥30.4K

$3,897 €3,466

16.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 ¥15.3K

$2,848 €2,533

-19.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 ¥7,188

$1,290 €1,148

-16.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.73

-7.24%

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

Last update for China: October 19, 2026

Last update for Portugal: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$240 30%

Portugal

$807 47% 237% $568

Groceries & Markets

China

$209 26.1%

Portugal

$248 14.4% 18.8% $39

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.4%

Portugal

$142 8.3% 33% $35

Eating Out

China

$89 11.1%

Portugal

$199 11.6% 124% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$75 9.3%

Portugal

$199 11.6% 166% $124

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.7%

Portugal

$59 3.4% 9.4% $5.1

Getting Around

China

$27 3.4%

Portugal

$64 3.7% 133% $37

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $299 in China, $960 in Portugal. Capital cities: $945 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,589 in Lisbon.

National salary averages: $870 in China, $1,290 in Portugal. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 221% higher in Portugal.

Dining out costs 129% more in Portugal.

Public transport is 124% more expensive in Portugal.

Salaries are 48% higher in Portugal, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇵🇹 Portugal

🕒 Local time

22:23 10:23 PM

15:23 3:23 PM

7 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

10,347,892

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

China Portugal 9,670 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Portugal

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

China vs Portugal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $800 per month in China and $1,718 in Portugal, there's a 115% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $960 in Portugal and $299 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Portugal it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Portugal may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.