Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Changzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Changzhou: $741 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Changzhou
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Changzhou Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Changzhou

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Changzhou

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Changzhou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $741 in Changzhou.

Lisbon $2,223
Changzhou $741

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $1,217 in Changzhou.

Lisbon $3,271
Changzhou $1,217

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $1,694 in Changzhou.

Lisbon $4,319
Changzhou $1,694

Living in Lisbon is roughly 200% more expensive than in Changzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Changzhou is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$2.92 ¥19.50

465.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$28.54 ¥191

114.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$4.51 ¥30.16

149.89%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$2.22 ¥14.82

37.84%

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

$2.26 €2.01

$0.38 ¥2.55

494.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$0.23 ¥1.53

652.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$0.62 ¥4.15

446.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$1.45 ¥9.69

134.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.86 ¥12.47

-39.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.28 ¥8.59

45.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.00 ¥6.65

53.00%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$1.72 ¥11.53

130.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$7.41 ¥49.53

72.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$2.82 ¥18.85

180.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$12.35 ¥82.6

37.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.16 ¥14.44

5.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.73 ¥11.58

1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.97 ¥13.14

-6.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$1.04 ¥6.96

147.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$0.77 ¥5.13

141.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$0.99 ¥6.63

104.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$0.39 ¥2.60

269.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$0.62 ¥4.18

32.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$3.29 ¥22.03

99.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$10.58 ¥70.8

-46.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$0.82 ¥5.48

56.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$1.56 ¥10.45

32.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$0.33 ¥2.20

612.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

$14.32 ¥95.8

208.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$1.51 ¥10.09

164.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$0.31 ¥2.08

251.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$2.93 ¥19.57

467.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.31 ¥8.74

74.05%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

$17.1K ¥114.1K

97.31%

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

$39.3K €35.0K

$13.8K ¥92.3K

184.59%

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

$167 €149

$57.5 ¥385

191.24%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$8.13 ¥54.3

131.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$10.66 ¥71.3

210.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$40.60 ¥271

13.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

$14.75 ¥98.6

30.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$4.57 ¥30.53

115.32%

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

$677 €602

$251 ¥1,681

169.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$15.1K ¥101.0K

11.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$55.3 ¥370

82.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$22.58 ¥151

102.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$76.0 ¥508

31.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$76.2 ¥510

61.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$285 ¥1,908

465.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$229 ¥1,529

423.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$917 ¥6,132

212.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$495 ¥3,311

301.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

$2,942 ¥19.7K

157.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

$1,613 ¥10.8K

166.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$1,067 ¥7,131

48.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.35

14.93%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Changzhou: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Changzhou

$229 30.9% 80.9% $968

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Changzhou

$192 25.9% 28.8% $78

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Changzhou

$72 9.7% 70.3% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Changzhou

$76 10.3% 65.2% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Changzhou

$104 14% 37.8% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Changzhou

$50 6.7% 24.3% $16

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Changzhou

$19 2.5% 70.3% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $285 in Changzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 49% 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: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $29.00 in Changzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $192 per month, with Changzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇨🇳 Changzhou

🕒 Local time

06:30 6:30 AM

13:30 1:30 PM

7 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

5,278,121

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Changzhou 10,570 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

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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, eating out, and clothing. The 200% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 49% 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: $1,614 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 41% 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 $29.00 versus $61.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $741 in Changzhou versus $2,223 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 200% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.