Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cixi Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cixi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,258 in Lisbon versus $708 in Cixi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,328 in Lisbon versus $1,144 in Cixi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,397 in Lisbon versus $1,580 in Cixi.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 219% more expensive than Cixi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Cixi is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.82 €13.46

$2.77 ¥18.93

471.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 €54.8

$21.67 ¥148

197.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €8.82

$4.80 ¥32.77

116.04%

Cappuccino

$2.89 €2.46

$3.00 ¥20.50

-3.67%

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

$2.23 €1.90

$0.44 ¥2.99

406.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.32

$0.29 ¥1.99

434.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.88

$0.94 ¥6.44

259.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.32

$2.11 ¥14.40

84.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.79 ¥12.26

-37.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.53

$1.53 ¥10.48

17.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.49

$0.89 ¥6.08

96.63%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.70

$1.55 ¥10.58

104.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 €11.49

$13.02 ¥88.9

3.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 €6.63

$3.09 ¥21.14

152.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 €13.32

$10.32 ¥70.5

51.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$1.86 ¥12.73

22.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.24 ¥8.47

37.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.65

$1.48 ¥10.14

30.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.15

$1.14 ¥7.82

121.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.52

$0.70 ¥4.75

155.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$0.97 ¥6.59

111.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.65

$0.60 ¥4.09

223.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.54 ¥3.70

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.66

$3.14 ¥21.45

111.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 €4.92

$10.58 ¥72.3

-45.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$0.80 ¥5.46

66.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.47

$1.59 ¥10.85

83.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.00

$0.27 ¥1.82

770.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.70 €38.89

$16.49 ¥113

177.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.20 €3.58

$1.42 ¥9.70

195.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.35 ¥2.42

131.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 €15.91

$6.70 ¥45.73

179.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.18 ¥8.04

77.12%

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

$34.6K €29.5K

$19.2K ¥131.1K

80.34%

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

$39.7K €33.7K

$17.3K ¥118.1K

129.27%

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

$146 €124

$44.62 ¥305

226.87%

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

$20.84 €17.73

$10.05 ¥68.7

107.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.78 €33.85

$11.74 ¥80.2

238.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 €41.35

$41.66 ¥285

16.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 €16.04

$14.14 ¥96.6

33.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 €7.72

$5.76 ¥39.31

57.47%

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

$618 €526

$340 ¥2,322

81.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$16.5K ¥112.6K

-2.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.0

$44.48 ¥304

135.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €34.50

$29.95 ¥205

35.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 €79.8

$71.6 ¥489

31.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €104

$71.9 ¥491

70.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,365

$279 ¥1,905

475.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 €1,073

$196 ¥1,340

542.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 €2,608

$591 ¥4,036

418.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$353 ¥2,412

468.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,702 €6,555

$3,062 ¥20.9K

151.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,367 €3,716

$2,021 ¥13.8K

116.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,638 €1,394

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.89

-2.06%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Last update for Cixi: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $279 in Cixi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64 in Lisbon vs $22 in Cixi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $198 per month, with Cixi 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 Cixi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cixi wins on cost – living expenses run 219% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cixi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,387 in Lisbon and $1,062 in Cixi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $279 in Cixi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $618 in Lisbon versus $340 in Cixi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $708 in Cixi versus $2,258 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cixi but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Cixi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cixi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $708 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cixi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Cixi 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 Cixi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 219% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.