Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Foshan and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Foshan: $777 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Foshan
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Foshan Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Foshan

🇨🇳 China

$777

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $777 in Foshan versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Foshan $777
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,242 in Foshan versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Foshan $1,242
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,708 in Foshan versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Foshan $1,708
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Foshan costs roughly 65% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Foshan is 42% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.78 ¥25.26

$16.50 €14.67

-77.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.79 ¥152

$61.3 €54.5

-62.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.19

$11.27 €10.03

-54.66%

Cappuccino

$3.07 ¥20.50

$3.06 €2.72

0.33%

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

$0.52 ¥3.49

$2.26 €2.01

-76.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$1.73 €1.54

-82.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.17

$3.39 €3.02

-64.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥12.61

$3.40 €3.02

-44.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ¥11.11

$1.12 €1.00

48.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ¥7.48

$1.86 €1.65

-39.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.16

$1.53 €1.36

-39.87%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.38

$3.96 €3.53

-57.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.68 ¥112

$12.76 €11.35

30.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 ¥26.18

$7.90 €7.02

-50.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.69 ¥71.5

$16.97 €15.09

-37.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ¥20.16

$2.27 €2.02

32.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$1.75 €1.55

-27.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ¥12.69

$1.85 €1.64

2.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ¥10.91

$2.57 €2.28

-36.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$1.86 €1.65

-41.40%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.38

$2.02 €1.80

-52.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.26

$1.44 €1.28

-55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.36

$0.82 €0.73

-39.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 ¥14.89

$6.56 €5.83

-66.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 ¥68.4

$5.62 €5.00

82.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥6.24

$1.28 €1.14

-27.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ¥10.13

$2.07 €1.84

-27.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$2.35 €2.09

-86.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.62 ¥71.0

$44.18 €39.30

-75.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.18

$3.99 €3.55

-61.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.15

$1.09 €0.97

-56.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 ¥58.9

$16.64 €14.81

-47.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.19

$2.28 €2.03

-46.49%

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

$21.3K ¥142.3K

$33.7K €30.0K

-36.80%

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

$16.2K ¥108.3K

$39.3K €35.0K

-58.78%

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

$84.5 ¥565

$167 €149

-49.54%

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

$7.92 ¥53.0

$18.80 €16.72

-57.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.69 ¥105

$33.09 €29.43

-52.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ¥477

$46.01 €40.93

55.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.83 ¥159

$19.19 €17.07

24.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 ¥35.50

$9.84 €8.75

-46.04%

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

$457 ¥3,054

$677 €602

-32.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ¥155.8K

$16.9K €15.1K

37.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.21 ¥282

$101 €90.1

-58.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.76 ¥125

$45.76 €40.70

-59.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.1 ¥415

$100.0 €88.9

-37.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.8 ¥614

$123 €109

-25.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$304 ¥2,031

$1,614 €1,436

-81.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ¥1,061

$1,197 €1,065

-86.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 ¥3,982

$2,862 €2,545

-79.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 ¥2,279

$1,990 €1,770

-82.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,329 ¥28.9K

$7,577 €6,740

-42.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,864 ¥12.5K

$4,307 €3,831

-56.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$802 ¥5,362

$1,588 €1,412

-49.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

3.85

-0.52%

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

Last update for Foshan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Foshan

$220 28.4%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 22.3% $49

Accommodation & Living

Foshan

$159 20.4%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 655% $1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Foshan

$108 13.9%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 103% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Foshan

$97 12.4%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 72.1% $70

Eating Out

Foshan

$96 12.3%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 153% $147

Sport & Entertainment

Foshan

$82 10.6%

Lisbon

$66 3% 19.9% $16

Getting Around

Foshan

$16 2%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 300% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $304 in Foshan and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 98% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $23.00 in Foshan vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $269 per month, with Foshan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Foshan

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

05:26 5:26 AM

7 h behind Foshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,498,863

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 →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Foshan Lisbon 10,890 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Foshan
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

Foshan vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Foshan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 186% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 98% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $304 in Foshan versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Foshan runs roughly 316% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $457 in Foshan versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $777 in Foshan versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Foshan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Foshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Foshan 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, Foshan 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 Foshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 186% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.