Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Datong and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Datong: $713 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Datong, China
Lisbon, Portugal
Datong
🇨🇳 China
$713
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,206
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Datong 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 Datong and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $713 in Datong versus $2,206 in Lisbon.

  • Datong $713
  • Lisbon $2,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,133 in Datong versus $3,276 in Lisbon.

  • Datong $1,133
  • Lisbon $3,276

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,553 in Datong versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Datong $1,553
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Datong 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: Datong is 47% below, Lisbon is 63% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Datong
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.75 ¥18.30
$16.86 €15.00
-83.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$21.93 ¥146
$61.0 €54.3
-64.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.79 ¥31.95
$10.98 €9.77
-56.38%
Cappuccino
$3.09 ¥20.58
$3.05 €2.71
1.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43 ¥2.90
$2.28 €2.03
-81.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 ¥1.95
$1.68 €1.50
-82.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.90 ¥5.97
$3.44 €3.06
-73.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 ¥13.64
$3.91 €3.48
-47.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Datong
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.80 ¥12.03
$1.15 €1.02
56.52%
White Bread (500g)
$1.54 ¥10.26
$1.89 €1.68
-18.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.98 ¥6.50
$1.50 €1.34
-34.67%
Eggs
$1.56 ¥10.38
$4.12 €3.66
-62.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.86 ¥85.7
$13.01 €11.57
-1.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.23 ¥21.51
$8.04 €7.16
-59.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.09 ¥67.3
$17.89 €15.92
-43.60%
Apples (1kg)
$1.89 ¥12.59
$2.27 €2.02
-16.74%
Banana (1kg)
$1.21 ¥8.09
$1.74 €1.55
-30.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.55 ¥10.30
$1.82 €1.62
-14.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.15 ¥7.64
$2.69 €2.39
-57.25%
Potato (1kg)
$0.75 ¥5.03
$1.77 €1.57
-57.63%
Onion (1kg)
$0.90 ¥5.99
$1.94 €1.72
-53.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.56 ¥3.76
$1.46 €1.30
-61.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.54 ¥3.62
$0.76 €0.68
-28.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.10 ¥20.63
$6.66 €5.92
-53.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.70 ¥71.3
$5.64 €5.02
89.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 ¥5.22
$1.29 €1.15
-39.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 ¥10.56
$2.14 €1.90
-26.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Datong
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 ¥1.95
$2.30 €2.05
-87.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$17.04 ¥114
$44.02 €39.17
-61.29%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.37 ¥9.16
$3.98 €3.54
-65.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.36 ¥2.38
$0.64 €0.57
-43.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.78 ¥45.21
$18.93 €16.84
-64.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 ¥7.89
$2.28 €2.03
-48.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.1K ¥127.0K
$33.4K €29.7K
-42.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.1K ¥114.0K
$38.5K €34.3K
-55.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Datong
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$44.32 ¥295
$158 €141
-71.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.82 ¥65.4
$17.54 €15.61
-44.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.70 ¥78.0
$31.18 €27.75
-62.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Datong
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.16 ¥281
$44.64 €39.73
-5.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.77 ¥91.7
$18.98 €16.89
-27.45%
Cinema Ticket
$5.99 ¥39.89
$9.58 €8.52
-37.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Datong
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$338 ¥2,252
$674 €599
-49.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K ¥112.8K
$18.7K €16.7K
-9.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Datong
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.48 ¥296
$102 €90.9
-56.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.37 ¥202
$45.90 €40.85
-33.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.4 ¥476
$102 €91.0
-30.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.3 ¥475
$122 €109
-41.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Datong
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$276 ¥1,836
$1,641 €1,460
-83.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$191 ¥1,271
$1,187 €1,057
-83.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$603 ¥4,018
$2,825 €2,514
-78.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$360 ¥2,398
$2,018 €1,796
-82.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,037 ¥20.2K
$7,836 €6,973
-61.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,026 ¥13.5K
$4,701 €4,183
-56.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Datong
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,687 €1,501
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.89
3.82
1.83%

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

Last update for Datong: November 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Datong
$199
Lisbon
$275 38.3% $76
Accommodation & Living
Datong
$191
Lisbon
$1.2K 523% $997
Clothing & Footwear
Datong
$98
Lisbon
$168 71.1% $70
Eating Out
Datong
$85
Lisbon
$245 189% $160
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Datong
$66
Lisbon
$207 214% $141
Sport & Entertainment
Datong
$54
Lisbon
$64 17.9% $9.7
Getting Around
Datong
$21
Lisbon
$60 183% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $276 in Datong and $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22 in Datong vs $61 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $275 per month, with Datong cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Datong
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
11:17 11:17 AM
03:17 3:17 AM
8 h behind Datong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,318,057
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Datong Lisbon 9,480 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Datong
  • Lisbon

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
Datong vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Datong or Lisbon?
Datong wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Datong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Datong and in Lisbon?
You’d need roughly $1,070 in Datong and $3,309 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Datong compared to Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $276 in Datong versus $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Datong and in Lisbon?
Childcare runs $338 in Datong versus $674 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Datong or in Lisbon?
Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $800/month in Datong or in Lisbon?
At $713 in Datong versus $2,206 in Lisbon, a $800 budget is realistic in Datong but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Datong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Datong or Lisbon?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Datong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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