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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $671 in Bengbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,053 in Bengbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,435 in Bengbu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 245% more expensive than in Bengbu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Bengbu is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$2.21 ¥14.85

682.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$10.26 ¥68.9

516.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$4.80 ¥32.21

137.29%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$3.13 ¥20.97

1.92%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.43 ¥2.91

469.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.25 ¥1.68

604.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.48 ¥9.92

142.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.20 ¥14.79

54.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$2.17 ¥14.58

-42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.07 ¥7.19

85.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.72 ¥4.80

111.11%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$1.36 ¥9.13

197.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$10.50 ¥70.5

28.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$2.91 ¥19.53

188.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$9.10 ¥61.1

100.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.46 ¥9.78

56.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.06 ¥7.13

64.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.52 ¥10.20

22.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$0.70 ¥4.73

275.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.61 ¥4.08

214.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.62 ¥4.14

237.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.73 ¥4.89

97.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.46 ¥3.09

82.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.02 ¥20.26

124.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$5.92 ¥39.71

-3.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.76 ¥5.09

81.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.53 ¥10.27

45.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.31 ¥2.10

674.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$18.14 ¥122

157.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.68 ¥11.25

148.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.35 ¥2.37

225.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$8.91 ¥59.8

98.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.24 ¥8.35

87.10%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$19.4K ¥130.0K

82.32%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$16.3K ¥109.5K

153.95%

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

$170 €146

$37.69 ¥253

351.92%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$5.35 ¥35.87

261.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$6.97 ¥46.79

382.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$40.49 ¥272

18.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$12.99 ¥87.2

53.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$6.02 ¥40.41

64.78%

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

$717 €617

$417 ¥2,795

72.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$22.7K ¥152.4K

-23.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$43.03 ¥289

143.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$33.55 ¥225

39.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$65.2 ¥438

58.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$85.9 ¥576

44.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$287 ¥1,925

484.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$182 ¥1,218

600.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$568 ¥3,809

425.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$325 ¥2,181

512.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$3,366 ¥22.6K

132.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,647 ¥11.1K

182.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$675 ¥4,528

134.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.42

10.82%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Bengbu: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $287 in Bengbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 135% 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 $10.00 in Bengbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $168 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 245% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 135% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $287 in Bengbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $417 in Bengbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $671 in Bengbu versus $2,316 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 245% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.