Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Chaozhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Chaozhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $630 in Chaozhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,001 in Chaozhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $1,372 in Chaozhou.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 252% more expensive than Chaozhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Chaozhou is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$2.14 ¥14.43

637.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$23.07 ¥156

170.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$3.28 ¥22.14

221.34%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$1.37 ¥9.24

102.19%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$0.51 ¥3.43

347.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.27 ¥1.81

474.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$1.13 ¥7.67

214.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$2.82 ¥19.07

41.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.85 ¥12.50

-41.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.37 ¥9.23

29.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.69 ¥4.65

156.52%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$1.03 ¥6.99

202.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$8.77 ¥59.3

52.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$2.35 ¥15.88

240.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$11.25 ¥76.0

41.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.04 ¥13.79

11.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$0.83 ¥5.59

97.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$0.81 ¥5.48

144.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.70 ¥11.51

44.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.54 ¥3.61

227.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.43 ¥2.91

358.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.44 ¥2.95

347.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.27 ¥1.81

196.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$2.74 ¥18.50

138.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$11.04 ¥74.6

-47.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$0.67 ¥4.50

97.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$1.08 ¥7.32

176.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$0.27 ¥1.81

766.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

$16.84 ¥114

172.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$0.92 ¥6.24

363.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.26 ¥1.74

223.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$6.85 ¥46.27

175.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.08 ¥7.30

91.67%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$16.5K ¥111.2K

114.18%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$17.2K ¥116.3K

124.33%

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

$151 €130

$38.82 ¥262

289.31%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$4.12 ¥27.81

407.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$11.60 ¥78.4

240.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$41.52 ¥281

16.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$13.71 ¥92.6

35.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$5.88 ¥39.74

53.74%

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

$610 €525

$460 ¥3,105

32.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$16.8K ¥113.3K

-2.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$12.30 ¥83.1

723.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$26.52 ¥179

53.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$82.9 ¥560

12.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$54.6 ¥369

117.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$279 ¥1,882

475.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$184 ¥1,243

573.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$591 ¥3,991

411.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$362 ¥2,443

470.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$2,898 ¥19.6K

175.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$1,761 ¥11.9K

157.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$483 ¥3,266

236.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.56

7.02%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Chaozhou: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $279 in Chaozhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 237% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $23.00 in Chaozhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $173 per month, with Chaozhou 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 Chaozhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Chaozhou differ by about 252% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $630 including rent). Chaozhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 237% 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $279 in Chaozhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $460 in Chaozhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $630 in Chaozhou versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chaozhou but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Chaozhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Chaozhou 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 Chaozhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 252% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.