Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,188 in Kaohsiung versus $2,263 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,951 in Kaohsiung versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,714 in Kaohsiung versus $4,368 in Lisbon.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 47% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaohsiung is 12% below, Lisbon is 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.05 NT$128

$15.94 €13.73

-74.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.24 NT$1,082

$63.4 €54.6

-45.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 NT$174

$10.38 €8.95

-46.92%

Cappuccino

$3.09 NT$97.8

$2.79 €2.40

10.75%

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

$0.97 NT$30.78

$2.34 €2.01

-58.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 NT$22.50

$1.57 €1.35

-54.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 NT$52.4

$3.43 €2.95

-51.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 NT$86.2

$3.91 €3.37

-30.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.50 NT$110

$1.08 €0.93

224.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 NT$63.3

$1.77 €1.52

12.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 NT$82.4

$1.71 €1.47

52.63%

Eggs

$3.33 NT$105

$3.15 €2.71

5.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.02 NT$506

$13.68 €11.79

17.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 NT$297

$8.01 €6.90

17.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.01 NT$569

$15.52 €13.37

16.04%

Apples (1kg)

$6.17 NT$195

$2.29 €1.98

169.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NT$81.1

$1.64 €1.41

56.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 NT$89.9

$1.94 €1.67

46.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 NT$126

$2.51 €2.17

58.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 NT$95.1

$1.79 €1.54

68.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 NT$67.2

$2.01 €1.73

5.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 NT$58.6

$1.97 €1.69

-6.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NT$37.52

$0.84 €0.73

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 NT$139

$6.79 €5.85

-35.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.51 NT$490

$5.67 €4.89

173.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 NT$54.3

$1.39 €1.20

23.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 NT$77.7

$3.02 €2.60

-18.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.79

$2.27 €1.95

-63.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.56 NT$840

$45.44 €39.15

-41.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$92.9

$4.29 €3.70

-31.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.73

$0.85 €0.73

-8.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 NT$198

$18.28 €15.75

-65.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.71

$1.99 €1.71

-48.24%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$35.0K €30.2K

-3.25%

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

$25.7K NT$811.1K

$39.5K €34.1K

-35.12%

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

$102 NT$3,225

$146 €126

-30.22%

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

$25.18 NT$796

$20.45 €17.62

23.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.61 NT$810

$38.98 €33.58

-34.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.43 NT$1,246

$48.98 €42.21

-19.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.15 NT$352

$18.83 €16.22

-40.79%

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 NT$319

$9.52 €8.21

5.88%

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

$428 NT$13.5K

$608 €524

-29.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K NT$362.7K

$16.5K €14.2K

-30.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 NT$3,004

$104 €89.5

-8.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.01 NT$1,138

$42.12 €36.29

-14.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 NT$2,824

$92.2 €79.5

-3.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,191

$120 €103

-15.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 NT$14.0K

$1,621 €1,397

-72.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 NT$8,897

$1,268 €1,092

-77.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 NT$30.0K

$3,048 €2,626

-68.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 NT$21.6K

$2,009 €1,731

-66.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,584 NT$144.9K

$7,663 €6,602

-40.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,194 NT$101.0K

$4,329 €3,730

-26.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,503 NT$47.5K

$1,585 €1,366

-5.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

3.81

-39.63%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $443 in Kaohsiung and $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 5% 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: $34.00 in Kaohsiung vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $385 vs $269, 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

Kaohsiung vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Lisbon differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($1,188 vs $2,263 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 5% less. 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: $443 in Kaohsiung versus $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Kaohsiung versus $608 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 43% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,188 in Kaohsiung versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.