Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Changzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Changzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $708 in Changzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,160 in Changzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,612 in Changzhou.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 212% more expensive than Changzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Changzhou is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$2.84 ¥19.24

460.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$26.70 ¥181

142.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$4.24 ¥28.74

147.88%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.95 ¥20.00

-2.71%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.48 ¥3.22

366.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.25 ¥1.68

500.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$0.69 ¥4.66

405.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$1.42 ¥9.64

173.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.99 ¥13.49

-42.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.27 ¥8.61

37.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.93 ¥6.30

89.25%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.80 ¥12.18

78.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$6.80 ¥46.08

98.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$2.41 ¥16.33

228.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$9.43 ¥63.9

68.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.77 ¥12.00

30.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.79 ¥12.11

-5.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.65 ¥11.16

21.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.96 ¥6.51

156.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.73 ¥4.96

152.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.92 ¥6.22

117.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.39 ¥2.65

394.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.49 ¥3.30

61.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$3.01 ¥20.42

119.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$10.32 ¥69.9

-44.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.69 ¥4.65

98.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.62 ¥11.00

83.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.30 ¥2.01

690.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$13.20 ¥89.4

245.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.35 ¥9.14

217.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.28 ¥1.91

192.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$2.71 ¥18.34

575.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.16 ¥7.85

77.59%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$15.4K ¥104.2K

122.90%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$17.4K ¥117.7K

126.17%

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

$148 €127

$44.68 ¥303

230.95%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$11.47 ¥77.7

78.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$18.22 ¥123

117.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$38.78 ¥263

23.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$14.10 ¥95.5

34.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$6.43 ¥43.53

42.77%

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

$614 €529

$230 ¥1,560

166.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$13.9K ¥94.0K

15.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$46.28 ¥313

126.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$26.00 ¥176

61.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$70.6 ¥478

33.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$69.0 ¥467

73.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$285 ¥1,931

471.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$204 ¥1,384

514.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$844 ¥5,715

259.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$472 ¥3,196

328.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$2,967 ¥20.1K

162.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$1,597 ¥10.8K

167.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$1,140 ¥7,722

40.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.35

13.73%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Changzhou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $285 in Changzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 41% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $27.00 in Changzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $174 per month, with Changzhou 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 Changzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 212% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Lisbon pays 41% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $285 in Changzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Changzhou – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $708 in Changzhou versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changzhou but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Changzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Changzhou 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 Changzhou 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 Changzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 212% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.