Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Chenzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Chenzhou: $721 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Chenzhou, China
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Chenzhou
🇨🇳 China
$721
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Chenzhou

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 Chenzhou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $721 in Chenzhou, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Chenzhou $721

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $1,197 in Chenzhou, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Chenzhou $1,197

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $1,674 in Chenzhou, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Chenzhou $1,674

Lisbon costs about 207% more than Chenzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 62% above the global median, while Chenzhou is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Chenzhou
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$3.03 ¥20.15
449.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$22.13 ¥147
178.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$4.86 ¥32.33
133.74%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$1.54 ¥10.24
92.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$0.51 ¥3.41
349.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.27 ¥1.80
544.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$1.29 ¥8.58
163.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$1.89 ¥12.59
75.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Chenzhou
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.97 ¥13.09
-41.12%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$2.38 ¥15.83
-19.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$0.79 ¥5.23
91.14%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$1.72 ¥11.46
133.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$13.15 ¥87.5
-1.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$4.13 ¥27.47
88.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$11.57 ¥77.0
53.50%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$0.59 ¥3.92
289.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$1.18 ¥7.82
46.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$0.73 ¥4.87
154.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$1.19 ¥7.89
117.65%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$0.97 ¥6.49
87.63%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$1.54 ¥10.24
27.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$0.61 ¥4.04
140.98%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.49 ¥3.23
46.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$3.02 ¥20.08
117.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$12.71 ¥84.6
-55.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.04 ¥6.91
30.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$1.57 ¥10.45
36.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Chenzhou
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$0.31 ¥2.05
651.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
$15.40 ¥103
190.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$1.52 ¥10.09
153.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.29 ¥1.93
268.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$4.60 ¥30.59
257.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$1.29 ¥8.59
70.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$19.3K ¥128.3K
77.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$17.4K ¥115.6K
122.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Chenzhou
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$56.3 ¥375
186.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$8.94 ¥59.5
105.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$11.27 ¥75.0
190.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Chenzhou
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$42.59 ¥283
4.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
$14.67 ¥97.6
30.20%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$6.48 ¥43.13
48.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Chenzhou
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$329 ¥2,188
103.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$16.9K ¥112.3K
4.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Chenzhou
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$84.2 ¥561
21.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$35.01 ¥233
26.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$89.1 ¥593
10.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$58.9 ¥392
110.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Chenzhou
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$310 ¥2,061
419.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$163 ¥1,086
629.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
$584 ¥3,885
381.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
$414 ¥2,753
386.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
$3,531 ¥23.5K
121.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
$1,917 ¥12.8K
138.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Chenzhou
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.46
11.27%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chenzhou: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Chenzhou
$163 86.3% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Chenzhou
$215 21% $57
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Chenzhou
$71 70.9% $172
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Chenzhou
$77 64% $136
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Chenzhou
$120 27.5% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Chenzhou
$56 12.8% $8.2
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Chenzhou
$20 69% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $310 in Chenzhou. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $22 in Chenzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $215 – making Chenzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇨🇳 Chenzhou
🕒 Local time
15:22 3:22 PM
23:22 11:22 PM
8 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
4,667,134
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Chenzhou 10,660 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Chenzhou

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Chenzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Lisbon and in Chenzhou compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon, $721 in Chenzhou – roughly 207% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Chenzhou?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $1,081 in Chenzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Lisbon and Chenzhou?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chenzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $310 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
How do commuting costs compare in Lisbon and in Chenzhou?
Public transport costs about 66% less in Chenzhou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Chenzhou?
Kindergarten costs $668 per month in Lisbon and $329 in Chenzhou. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Chenzhou, where all-in costs run around $721, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Chenzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Lisbon or Chenzhou?
Families tend to lean toward Chenzhou – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Chenzhou?
For expats, Chenzhou is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 207% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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