Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dalian Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dalian

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $791 in Dalian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,264 in Dalian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,737 in Dalian.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 190% more expensive than in Dalian, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Dalian is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.15

$3.47 ¥23.47

366.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.3

$24.42 ¥165

159.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.02

$4.88 ¥33.03

111.48%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.47

$3.09 ¥20.89

-8.41%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.51 ¥3.47

349.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.26 ¥1.77

507.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$0.83 ¥5.59

309.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$1.49 ¥10.09

170.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.64 ¥11.10

-33.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.51 ¥10.24

15.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.97 ¥6.57

81.44%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.94 ¥13.14

63.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.53

$19.38 ¥131

-31.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.96

$2.75 ¥18.58

189.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.57

$10.06 ¥68.1

54.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.25 ¥8.43

89.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.11 ¥7.49

54.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.28 ¥8.63

57.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$0.72 ¥4.89

237.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.68 ¥4.60

158.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.72 ¥4.85

181.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.71 ¥4.78

170.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.60 ¥4.08

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.75

$3.39 ¥22.94

94.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.87

$17.93 ¥121

-68.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$0.80 ¥5.40

66.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.53 ¥10.36

94.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.29 ¥1.99

686.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

$27.60 ¥187

65.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$1.42 ¥9.62

197.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.40 ¥2.69

102.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

$3.98 ¥26.96

363.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.18 ¥8.01

76.27%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$17.8K ¥120.3K

95.04%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$15.7K ¥106.4K

149.06%

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

$148 €129

$43.14 ¥292

243.18%

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

$20.46 €17.88

$9.16 ¥62.0

123.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.56

$11.56 ¥78.3

242.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$37.26 ¥252

28.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

$23.76 ¥161

-21.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.06

$6.73 ¥45.56

37.00%

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

$616 €538

$455 ¥3,080

35.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$9,498 ¥64.3K

73.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$55.3 ¥374

85.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

$51.1 ¥346

-18.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

$106 ¥714

-10.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$95.0 ¥643

28.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,426

$354 ¥2,397

360.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,077

$202 ¥1,369

509.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,707

$645 ¥4,363

380.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,775

$370 ¥2,505

448.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

$2,686 ¥18.2K

191.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

$1,617 ¥10.9K

171.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

$1,078 ¥7,296

49.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.18

-8.85%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Dalian: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $354 in Dalian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 49% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $24.00 in Dalian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $223 per month, with Dalian 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 Dalian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Dalian differ by about 190% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $791 including rent). Dalian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 49% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $354 in Dalian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $455 in Dalian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $791 in Dalian versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dalian but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Dalian 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 Dalian 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 Dalian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 190% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.