Cost of Living Comparison Between Lanzhou and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Lanzhou and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $659 in Lanzhou versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,033 in Lanzhou versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,408 in Lanzhou versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Lanzhou costs roughly 70% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lanzhou is 51% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 ¥13.96

$15.91 €13.70

-87.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.81 ¥141

$64.8 €55.8

-67.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.26 ¥42.41

$10.51 €9.05

-40.44%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ¥20.53

$2.87 €2.47

5.57%

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

$0.44 ¥2.96

$2.24 €1.93

-80.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$1.50 €1.29

-82.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.53 ¥3.61

$3.49 €3.01

-84.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.24

$3.88 €3.34

-57.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.42

$1.14 €0.98

35.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥10.92

$1.75 €1.51

-8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.39

$1.76 €1.51

-46.59%

Eggs

$1.86 ¥12.58

$3.22 €2.77

-42.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 ¥87.9

$13.49 €11.61

-3.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.02 ¥20.46

$7.91 €6.81

-61.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.05 ¥61.3

$15.87 €13.67

-42.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.27

$2.31 €1.99

-21.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.65

$1.70 €1.46

-16.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.43

$2.01 €1.73

-38.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.61

$2.46 €2.12

-60.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 ¥3.30

$1.84 €1.59

-73.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.48

$2.00 €1.72

-59.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 ¥3.11

$1.93 €1.66

-76.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.78

$0.79 €0.68

-29.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.21 ¥21.75

$6.61 €5.69

-51.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 ¥74.2

$5.72 €4.93

91.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.37

$1.37 €1.18

-42.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.88

$2.97 €2.56

-45.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.99

$2.37 €2.04

-87.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.89 ¥114

$45.56 €39.22

-62.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ¥9.53

$4.29 €3.69

-67.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.16 ¥1.09

$0.82 €0.70

-80.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 ¥17.46

$18.30 €15.76

-85.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 ¥9.38

$2.06 €1.78

-32.52%

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

$19.1K ¥129.1K

$34.3K €29.5K

-44.40%

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

$16.6K ¥112.2K

$39.3K €33.8K

-57.84%

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

$43.84 ¥297

$148 €127

-70.35%

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

$9.54 ¥64.6

$20.52 €17.67

-53.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.73 ¥79.5

$39.61 €34.10

-70.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.25 ¥279

$47.85 €41.19

-13.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.06 ¥95.2

$18.92 €16.29

-25.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 ¥43.31

$9.18 €7.91

-30.28%

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

$342 ¥2,313

$614 €529

-44.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K ¥191.9K

$16.0K €13.8K

76.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.88 ¥297

$105 €90.1

-58.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.63 ¥207

$42.06 €36.21

-27.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.1 ¥488

$94.0 €80.9

-23.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.51 ¥288

$120 €103

-64.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 ¥1,855

$1,628 €1,401

-83.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 ¥1,064

$1,255 €1,081

-87.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 ¥4,063

$3,030 €2,609

-80.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 ¥1,890

$2,020 €1,739

-86.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,698 ¥18.3K

$7,800 €6,715

-65.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,659 ¥11.2K

$4,273 €3,678

-61.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$924 ¥6,257

$1,603 €1,380

-42.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.87

3.81

1.57%

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

Last update for Lanzhou: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $274 in Lanzhou and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 74% 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: $21.00 in Lanzhou vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $269 per month, with Lanzhou cheaper across the board.

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

Lanzhou vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lanzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 236% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Lisbon earns 74% 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: $274 in Lanzhou versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $342 in Lanzhou versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $659 in Lanzhou versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lanzhou but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Lanzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lanzhou 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, Lanzhou 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 Lanzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 236% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.