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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,160 in Chiayi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,967 in Chiayi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,774 in Chiayi.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 95% more expensive than Chiayi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Chiayi is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$6.67 NT$211

138.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$40.85 NT$1,291

55.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$5.61 NT$177

85.03%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.17 NT$68.7

28.57%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.12 NT$35.40

108.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.79 NT$24.90

98.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$1.91 NT$60.4

79.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.08 NT$97.4

26.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$3.10 NT$97.9

-65.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.96 NT$61.9

-9.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$3.06 NT$96.7

-44.12%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.93 NT$92.7

7.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$20.43 NT$646

-33.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$10.21 NT$323

-21.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$20.12 NT$636

-22.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$5.19 NT$164

-55.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.98 NT$94.3

-44.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.79 NT$88.3

-30.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$4.10 NT$130

-38.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$2.82 NT$89.0

-36.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.28 NT$72.1

-11.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.90 NT$60.0

3.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.32 NT$41.67

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$4.09 NT$129

66.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$4.66 NT$147

21.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.83 NT$58.0

-24.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.43 NT$76.7

24.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.83 NT$26.14

173.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$39.35 NT$1,244

15.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$2.79 NT$88.3

53.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.41 NT$13.10

107.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$10.12 NT$320

80.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.03 NT$32.65

93.20%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$38.7K NT$1.2M

-9.40%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$27.1K NT$856.1K

46.03%

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

$146 €126

$73.3 NT$2,318

99.40%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$18.55 NT$586

10.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$24.60 NT$778

58.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$37.24 NT$1,177

31.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$15.21 NT$481

23.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$11.88 NT$376

-19.87%

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

$608 €524

$632 NT$20.0K

-3.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$18.4K NT$581.8K

-10.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$58.8 NT$1,859

76.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$33.12 NT$1,047

27.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$92.4 NT$2,921

-0.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$123 NT$3,902

-2.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$438 NT$13.8K

270.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$293 NT$9,252

333.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$1,056 NT$33.4K

188.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$721 NT$22.8K

178.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$7,631 NT$241.2K

0.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$5,251 NT$166.0K

-17.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$2,156 NT$68.1K

-26.48%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $438 in Chiayi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $41.00 in Chiayi. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $382, 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 95% 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 36% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $438 in Chiayi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,263 per month in Lisbon versus $1,160 in Chiayi – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 15% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,160 in Chiayi versus $2,263 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 $1,160 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 95% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.