Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Portugal Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Portugal

Name: Portugal
Address: PT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $711 in China versus $1,638 in Portugal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $2,407 in Portugal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,550 in China versus $3,176 in Portugal.

Living in China costs about 57% less than in Portugal on average.

China (47% below) and Portugal (22% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Portugal: monthly costs span $1,043 to $2,441, compared to $525–$1,220 in China. City choice carries more weight in Portugal.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 ¥18.77

$11.80 €10.07

-76.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.03 ¥164

$51.9 €44.24

-53.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 ¥33.85

$9.28 €7.92

-46.55%

Cappuccino

$3.12 ¥21.31

$2.14 €1.82

45.79%

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

$0.48 ¥3.25

$1.97 €1.68

-75.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.83

$1.37 €1.17

-80.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ¥6.71

$2.96 €2.53

-66.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.65

$3.42 €2.92

-37.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ¥12.50

$1.06 €0.91

72.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.50

$1.57 €1.34

7.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.19

$1.62 €1.38

-43.83%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.63

$3.14 €2.68

-50.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 ¥88.6

$11.98 €10.22

8.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.25 ¥22.17

$7.62 €6.50

-57.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.51 ¥71.8

$14.38 €12.27

-26.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.37

$2.29 €1.96

-20.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.87

$1.51 €1.29

-13.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.23

$1.80 €1.54

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.85

$2.51 €2.14

-54.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.19

$1.69 €1.44

-55.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥6.05

$1.92 €1.64

-53.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.95

$1.63 €1.39

-64.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.94

$0.81 €0.69

-28.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 ¥23.88

$6.34 €5.41

-44.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 ¥78.9

$5.77 €4.92

100.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.30

$1.31 €1.12

-40.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥11.00

$2.51 €2.14

-35.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥3.00

$2.26 €1.93

-80.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.15 ¥144

$46.87 €39.98

-54.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.32

$3.93 €3.36

-65.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.44

$1.01 €0.86

-64.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ¥45.15

$17.18 €14.66

-61.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.71

$1.92 €1.64

-41.15%

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

$19.7K ¥134.9K

$34.3K €29.3K

-42.42%

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

$17.1K ¥116.7K

$39.9K €34.0K

-57.19%

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

$50.9 ¥348

$136 €116

-62.47%

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

$10.03 ¥68.5

$21.19 €18.07

-52.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.33 ¥77.4

$42.83 €36.53

-73.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.13 ¥274

$44.53 €37.99

-9.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.97 ¥102

$16.86 €14.38

-11.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 ¥41.62

$8.76 €7.48

-30.48%

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

$418 ¥2,852

$508 €433

-17.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K ¥117.9K

$12.5K €10.6K

38.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.40 ¥317

$92.3 €78.7

-49.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.92 ¥225

$38.96 €33.23

-15.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.1 ¥486

$89.5 €76.3

-20.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 ¥498

$105 €89.8

-30.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 ¥2,994

$1,089 €929

-59.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 ¥1,770

$862 €735

-69.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$926 ¥6,323

$1,840 €1,569

-49.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 ¥3,743

$1,322 €1,128

-58.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,047 ¥34.5K

$3,995 €3,408

26.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,666 ¥18.2K

$2,873 €2,451

-7.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,074 ¥7,336

$1,351 €1,152

-20.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

4.83

-15.94%

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

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Last update for Portugal: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $286 in China, $936 in Portugal. Capital cities: $886 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,604 in Lisbon.

National salary averages: $834 in China, $1,328 in Portugal. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 227% higher in Portugal.

Dining out costs 129% more in Portugal.

Public transport is 128% more expensive in Portugal.

Salaries are 59% higher in Portugal, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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 $873 per month in China and $1,742 in Portugal, there's a 100% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Portugal beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Portugal, it works in regional areas but 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.