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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $733 in Changzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,214 in Changzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,695 in Changzhou.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 216% more expensive than in Changzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Changzhou is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$3.01 ¥20.18

474.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$28.60 ¥192

121.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$4.56 ¥30.62

149.78%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$2.11 ¥14.19

51.18%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.38 ¥2.57

544.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.23 ¥1.54

665.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$0.57 ¥3.84

529.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$1.45 ¥9.75

133.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.93 ¥12.94

-35.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.28 ¥8.57

54.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.96 ¥6.43

58.33%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$1.63 ¥10.91

147.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$7.53 ¥50.5

79.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$2.88 ¥19.36

191.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$12.37 ¥83.0

47.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.11 ¥14.16

8.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.73 ¥11.59

0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.05 ¥13.74

-9.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.09 ¥7.30

141.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.87 ¥5.83

120.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.93 ¥6.23

124.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.42 ¥2.79

242.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.68 ¥4.59

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.26 ¥21.84

107.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$10.49 ¥70.4

-45.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.93 ¥6.26

48.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.59 ¥10.67

39.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.35 ¥2.32

585.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$14.09 ¥94.5

232.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.47 ¥9.83

183.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.31 ¥2.09

267.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$2.86 ¥19.17

518.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.26 ¥8.47

84.13%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$17.3K ¥115.9K

104.62%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$13.9K ¥93.5K

197.53%

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

$170 €146

$63.2 ¥424

169.64%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$8.63 ¥57.9

124.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$10.42 ¥69.9

222.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$40.42 ¥271

19.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$15.00 ¥101

32.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$4.55 ¥30.55

118.02%

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

$717 €617

$252 ¥1,691

184.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$14.9K ¥99.7K

17.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$48.92 ¥328

114.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$27.76 ¥186

69.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$73.1 ¥491

41.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$75.1 ¥504

65.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$284 ¥1,906

490.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$232 ¥1,555

448.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$918 ¥6,158

225.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$503 ¥3,378

295.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$2,950 ¥19.8K

165.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,603 ¥10.8K

190.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$1,067 ¥7,157

48.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.35

13.13%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Changzhou: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $284 in Changzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 48% 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 $29.00 in Changzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $194 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 216% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 48% 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 $284 in Changzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% 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 $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $733 in Changzhou versus $2,316 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 216% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.