Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bengbu Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bengbu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $649 in Bengbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,047 in Bengbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,444 in Bengbu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 253% more expensive than in Bengbu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Bengbu is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$2.74 ¥18.51

490.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$21.93 ¥148

188.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$5.00 ¥33.81

106.40%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.12 ¥21.10

-9.29%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.41 ¥2.79

458.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.26 ¥1.76

507.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$0.86 ¥5.84

295.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.03 ¥13.72

98.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$2.10 ¥14.22

-48.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.95 ¥6.43

84.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.69 ¥4.64

155.07%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.49 ¥10.09

112.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$8.96 ¥60.6

47.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$2.83 ¥19.11

181.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$8.79 ¥59.4

76.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.41 ¥9.51

68.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.02 ¥6.88

67.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.37 ¥9.24

46.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.71 ¥4.81

242.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.58 ¥3.95

203.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.55 ¥3.68

269.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.67 ¥4.50

186.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.43 ¥2.94

97.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.85 ¥19.23

130.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$5.82 ¥39.31

-4.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.67 ¥4.50

98.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.36 ¥9.16

118.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.29 ¥1.98

686.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$16.98 ¥115

169.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.56 ¥10.57

171.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.35 ¥2.38

131.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$8.55 ¥57.8

115.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.17 ¥7.92

77.78%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$17.2K ¥116.3K

101.48%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$14.3K ¥96.5K

174.29%

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

$148 €130

$34.89 ¥236

324.33%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$4.94 ¥33.37

314.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$8.35 ¥56.4

373.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$41.68 ¥282

15.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$14.14 ¥95.6

31.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$5.63 ¥38.07

63.77%

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

$616 €540

$410 ¥2,773

50.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$18.7K ¥126.4K

-12.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$43.06 ¥291

138.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$33.08 ¥224

26.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$68.3 ¥462

38.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$84.6 ¥572

44.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$284 ¥1,917

475.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$188 ¥1,270

555.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$596 ¥4,027

419.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$354 ¥2,395

473.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$3,097 ¥20.9K

152.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,913 ¥12.9K

129.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$653 ¥4,413

146.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.87

-1.55%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Bengbu: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $284 in Bengbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 146% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $22.00 in Bengbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $157 per month, with Bengbu 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

Lisbon vs Bengbu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bengbu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 253% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 146% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $284 in Bengbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $410 in Bengbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $649 in Bengbu versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bengbu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bengbu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bengbu 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, Lisbon and Bengbu 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 Bengbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 253% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.