Cost of Living Comparison Between Hua-lien and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Hua-lien and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,067 in Hua-lien versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,822 in Hua-lien versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,578 in Hua-lien versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Hua-lien costs roughly 54% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hua-lien is 22% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.12 NT$131

$17.30 €14.93

-76.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.83 NT$883

$63.3 €54.6

-56.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.21 NT$133

$11.39 €9.83

-63.04%

Cappuccino

$2.74 NT$87.1

$3.19 €2.75

-14.11%

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

$0.82 NT$26.15

$2.45 €2.11

-66.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 NT$16.36

$1.76 €1.52

-70.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.28 NT$40.47

$3.59 €3.10

-64.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 NT$55.8

$3.39 €2.93

-48.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.82 NT$89.4

$1.24 €1.07

127.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 NT$54.3

$1.98 €1.71

-13.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.53 NT$144

$1.52 €1.31

198.03%

Eggs

$1.97 NT$62.5

$4.04 €3.49

-51.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.03 NT$604

$13.54 €11.68

40.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.16 NT$196

$8.39 €7.24

-26.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.32 NT$803

$18.25 €15.75

38.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 NT$84.2

$2.29 €1.98

15.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NT$81.1

$1.74 €1.50

47.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 NT$107

$1.86 €1.60

81.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.16 NT$100

$2.63 €2.27

20.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 NT$76.5

$1.92 €1.65

25.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 NT$76.5

$2.09 €1.81

15.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 NT$65.9

$1.44 €1.24

44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 NT$30.20

$0.84 €0.73

13.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 NT$121

$6.78 €5.85

-43.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.32 NT$391

$5.71 €4.93

115.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 NT$60.8

$1.38 €1.19

39.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 NT$75.7

$2.22 €1.91

7.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 NT$20.96

$2.40 €2.07

-72.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.66 NT$1,131

$46.78 €40.37

-23.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 NT$102

$4.17 €3.60

-23.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 NT$10.20

$1.14 €0.98

-71.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.34 NT$328

$17.68 €15.26

-41.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 NT$28.03

$2.32 €2.01

-62.07%

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

$33.1K NT$1.1M

$35.3K €30.5K

-6.21%

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

$26.6K NT$843.2K

$41.4K €35.8K

-35.87%

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

$101 NT$3,188

$170 €147

-41.00%

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

$19.42 NT$616

$19.34 €16.69

0.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.51 NT$397

$33.64 €29.03

-62.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.12 NT$1,178

$48.10 €41.50

-22.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

Cinema Ticket

$10.15 NT$322

$9.92 €8.56

2.32%

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

$763 NT$24.2K

$717 €619

6.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K NT$521.7K

$17.5K €15.1K

-5.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 NT$1,837

$105 €90.4

-44.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.49 NT$1,126

$46.95 €40.51

-24.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 NT$2,517

$103 €89.2

-23.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 NT$3,416

$124 €107

-13.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 NT$12.5K

$1,677 €1,447

-76.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$249 NT$7,884

$1,271 €1,097

-80.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 NT$30.4K

$2,985 €2,575

-67.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$737 NT$23.4K

$1,992 €1,719

-63.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 NT$234.2K

$7,826 €6,753

-5.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,947 NT$156.9K

$4,658 €4,019

6.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,874 NT$91.2K

$1,583 €1,366

81.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.13

3.79

-43.80%

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

Last update for Hua-lien: September 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $394 in Hua-lien and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 82% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $28.00 in Hua-lien vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $364 vs $283, 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

Hua-lien vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hua-lien wins on cost – living expenses run 117% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hua-lien the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 82% higher in Hua-lien, 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: $394 in Hua-lien versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Hua-lien – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,067 in Hua-lien versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hua-lien but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Hua-lien the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hua-lien delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,067 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hua-lien hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.