Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Chiayi Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Chiayi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,173 in Chiayi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,961 in Chiayi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,750 in Chiayi.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 90% more expensive than Chiayi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Chiayi is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$6.76 NT$214

139.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$40.59 NT$1,285

59.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$5.62 NT$178

84.70%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.17 NT$68.8

27.65%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.13 NT$35.65

99.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.79 NT$24.90

98.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$1.88 NT$59.5

85.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.01 NT$95.2

32.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$3.26 NT$103

-66.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.90 NT$60.2

-8.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$3.18 NT$101

-45.28%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.81 NT$89.1

13.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$20.24 NT$641

-33.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$9.87 NT$313

-19.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$20.08 NT$635

-19.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$5.22 NT$165

-56.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.97 NT$93.9

-42.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$2.86 NT$90.5

-32.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$4.30 NT$136

-40.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.83 NT$89.5

-35.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.21 NT$69.8

-7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.97 NT$62.4

0.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.33 NT$42.22

-36.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$4.09 NT$129

67.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$4.84 NT$153

19.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.75 NT$55.3

-21.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.39 NT$75.7

21.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.82 NT$25.95

178.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$38.66 NT$1,224

21.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$2.95 NT$93.2

38.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.41 NT$13.13

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$10.10 NT$320

80.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.03 NT$32.58

95.15%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$38.8K NT$1.2M

-9.21%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$28.1K NT$888.4K

37.12%

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

$145 €124

$72.1 NT$2,280

101.80%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$18.85 NT$596

11.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$24.69 NT$781

62.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$37.78 NT$1,196

29.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$15.13 NT$479

23.53%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$11.66 NT$369

-22.30%

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

$607 €519

$645 NT$20.4K

-5.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$18.8K NT$594.1K

-13.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$59.7 NT$1,889

75.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$34.01 NT$1,077

20.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$92.9 NT$2,941

0.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$125 NT$3,952

-5.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$440 NT$13.9K

264.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$290 NT$9,186

325.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$1,034 NT$32.7K

194.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$713 NT$22.6K

188.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$7,483 NT$236.8K

3.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$5,182 NT$164.0K

-17.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$2,122 NT$67.1K

-25.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

2.19

73.97%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $440 in Chiayi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $41.00 in Chiayi. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $383, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Chiayi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiayi wins on cost – living expenses run 90% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiayi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Chiayi earns 34% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $440 in Chiayi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,227 per month in Lisbon versus $1,173 in Chiayi – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 21% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,173 in Chiayi versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiayi but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Chiayi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiayi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,173 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiayi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Chiayi 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 Chiayi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.