Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karamay and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Karamay: $731 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Karamay, China
Lisbon, Portugal
Karamay
🇨🇳 China
$731
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $731 per month in Karamay vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Karamay $731
  • Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $1,172 per month in Karamay vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Karamay $1,172
  • Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $1,612 per month in Karamay vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Karamay $1,612
  • Lisbon $4,341

Karamay is about 67% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Karamay sits 46% below the global median, while Lisbon is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Karamay
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.04 ¥20.20
$16.65 €14.95
-81.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.13 ¥147
$61.7 €55.5
-64.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.97 ¥33.05
$11.36 €10.20
-56.25%
Cappuccino
$2.84 ¥18.92
$2.97 €2.67
-4.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ¥3.14
$2.29 €2.06
-79.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ¥2.09
$1.74 €1.56
-82.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.06 ¥7.06
$3.40 €3.06
-68.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 ¥14.15
$3.31 €2.97
-35.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Karamay
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.86 ¥12.35
$1.16 €1.04
60.34%
White Bread (500g)
$1.60 ¥10.65
$1.91 €1.72
-16.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ¥6.74
$1.51 €1.36
-33.11%
Eggs
$1.60 ¥10.63
$4.02 €3.61
-60.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.16 ¥87.6
$12.94 €11.62
1.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.35 ¥22.32
$7.77 €6.98
-56.89%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.42 ¥76.0
$17.76 €15.95
-35.70%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 ¥12.17
$2.30 €2.07
-20.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.36 ¥9.02
$1.73 €1.56
-21.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.58 ¥10.48
$1.86 €1.67
-15.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.26 ¥8.38
$2.59 €2.33
-51.35%
Potato (1kg)
$0.75 ¥5.01
$1.82 €1.64
-58.79%
Onion (1kg)
$0.97 ¥6.48
$1.97 €1.77
-50.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.63 ¥4.18
$1.47 €1.32
-57.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 ¥3.98
$0.72 €0.65
-16.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.77 ¥25.06
$6.58 €5.91
-42.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.33 ¥75.4
$5.61 €5.04
101.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 ¥5.85
$1.36 €1.22
-35.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ¥10.61
$2.14 €1.92
-25.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Karamay
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.33 ¥2.17
$2.33 €2.10
-85.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.01 ¥127
$44.68 €40.14
-57.45%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.47 ¥9.81
$3.85 €3.46
-61.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.32 ¥2.16
$1.07 €0.96
-70.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.42 ¥49.40
$16.46 €14.79
-54.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.26 ¥8.38
$2.20 €1.98
-42.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.7K ¥124.4K
$34.2K €30.7K
-45.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.3K ¥102.0K
$38.7K €34.8K
-60.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Karamay
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$50.0 ¥333
$161 €145
-68.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.61 ¥57.3
$18.41 €16.54
-53.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.96 ¥72.9
$32.74 €29.41
-66.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Karamay
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.43 ¥282
$44.55 €40.02
-4.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.34 ¥109
$19.10 €17.16
-14.45%
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 ¥42.60
$9.60 €8.62
-33.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Karamay
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$431 ¥2,869
$668 €600
-35.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.4K ¥115.5K
$17.6K €15.8K
-1.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Karamay
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.82 ¥292
$102 €91.6
-57.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.60 ¥224
$44.46 €39.94
-24.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.6 ¥497
$98.5 €88.5
-24.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$75.4 ¥502
$124 €111
-39.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Karamay
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$285 ¥1,896
$1,608 €1,445
-82.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$185 ¥1,229
$1,190 €1,069
-84.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$596 ¥3,964
$2,812 €2,526
-78.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$369 ¥2,455
$2,013 €1,808
-81.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,114 ¥20.7K
$7,839 €7,042
-60.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,975 ¥13.1K
$4,576 €4,110
-56.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Karamay
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$604 ¥4,018
$1,575 €1,415
-61.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.36
3.85
-12.73%

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

Last update for Karamay: October 24, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Karamay
$210
Lisbon
$272 30% $63
Accommodation & Living
Karamay
$185
Lisbon
$1.2K 544% $1K
Clothing & Footwear
Karamay
$102
Lisbon
$166 62.1% $64
Eating Out
Karamay
$86
Lisbon
$243 182% $157
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Karamay
$70
Lisbon
$212 205% $143
Sport & Entertainment
Karamay
$55
Lisbon
$64 15.4% $8.5
Getting Around
Karamay
$23
Lisbon
$63 170% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $285 in Karamay versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Lisbon are about 2.6 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Karamay versus $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $272 – making Karamay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Karamay
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
07:45 7:45 AM
23:45 11:45 PM
8 h behind Karamay
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
490,348
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Karamay Lisbon 7,330 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Karamay
  • 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
Karamay vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Karamay cheaper than Lisbon?
Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 202%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,096 per month in Karamay and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Karamay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $285 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
How do food prices compare in Karamay and in Lisbon?
Groceries cost about 30% more in Lisbon, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Karamay or in Lisbon?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Karamay and $62 in Lisbon. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Karamay or in Lisbon?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Karamay, where all-in costs run around $731, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Karamay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Karamay or Lisbon more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Karamay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Karamay. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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