Cost of Living Comparison Between Gwangju and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Gwangju and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,309 in Gwangju versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,035 in Gwangju versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,760 in Gwangju versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Gwangju costs roughly 42% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gwangju is 5% below, Lisbon is 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.09 ₩8,171

$17.55 €15.12

-65.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.02 ₩47.0K

$64.5 €55.6

-45.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.94 ₩7,961

$11.65 €10.04

-49.01%

Cappuccino

$3.19 ₩4,272

$3.26 €2.81

-2.15%

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

$1.54 ₩2,061

$2.49 €2.15

-38.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₩778

$1.67 €1.44

-65.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ₩3,152

$3.47 €2.99

-32.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 ₩5,906

$3.58 €3.08

22.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ₩2,382

$1.18 €1.02

50.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ₩3,294

$1.95 €1.68

26.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 ₩3,143

$1.56 €1.35

50.00%

Eggs

$2.63 ₩3,521

$4.01 €3.46

-34.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 ₩12.2K

$13.27 €11.44

-31.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 ₩10.6K

$8.42 €7.26

-6.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.96 ₩14.7K

$18.23 €15.72

-39.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.29 ₩7,099

$2.32 €2.00

128.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 ₩3,943

$1.73 €1.49

69.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,038

$1.93 €1.67

94.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 ₩3,918

$2.64 €2.27

10.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 ₩4,611

$1.90 €1.64

81.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 ₩2,460

$2.11 €1.82

-13.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 ₩2,795

$1.44 €1.24

44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₩1,708

$0.80 €0.69

58.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 ₩4,578

$7.01 €6.04

-51.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.10 ₩14.9K

$5.92 €5.11

87.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 ₩1,941

$1.36 €1.18

6.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ₩2,942

$2.15 €1.85

1.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ₩1,335

$2.38 €2.05

-57.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₩89.2K

$46.22 €39.85

43.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 ₩4,014

$4.19 €3.61

-28.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₩838

$1.10 €0.95

-43.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.76 ₩10.4K

$17.26 €14.88

-55.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₩1,630

$2.25 €1.94

-45.78%

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

$28.1K ₩37.7M

$34.5K €29.7K

-18.48%

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

$34.9K ₩46.9M

$41.6K €35.9K

-16.03%

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

$207 ₩277.6K

$171 €147

21.16%

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

$43.65 ₩58.5K

$19.01 €16.38

129.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.13 ₩28.3K

$34.28 €29.55

-38.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.8 ₩78.9K

$49.65 €42.80

18.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.49 ₩14.1K

$19.51 €16.81

-46.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.2K

$10.10 €8.71

11.98%

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

$301 ₩403.2K

$699 €603

-57.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₩23.3M

$17.8K €15.3K

-2.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.98 ₩41.5K

$105 €90.2

-70.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.13 ₩35.0K

$47.97 €41.35

-45.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.8 ₩85.6K

$102 €87.8

-37.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ₩120.7K

$128 €111

-29.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₩679.2K

$1,661 €1,432

-69.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 ₩482.2K

$1,228 €1,059

-70.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 ₩1.6M

$2,915 €2,513

-59.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 ₩981.2K

$2,023 €1,744

-63.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,825 ₩10.5M

$8,129 €7,007

-3.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,331 ₩8.5M

$4,635 €3,996

36.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,873 ₩3.9M

$1,619 €1,396

77.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

3.78

-4.76%

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

Last update for Gwangju: September 6, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Gwangju and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gwangju pays 77% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Gwangju vs $64.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $307 vs $281, 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

Gwangju vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gwangju is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 77% higher in Gwangju, 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: $506 in Gwangju versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Gwangju – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $64.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,309 per month in Gwangju versus $2,268 in Lisbon – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,309 in Gwangju versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gwangju but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Gwangju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gwangju 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, Gwangju 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 Gwangju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.