Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Datong Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Datong

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $718 in Datong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,141 in Datong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,564 in Datong.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 208% more expensive than Datong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Datong is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.80

$2.84 ¥19.25

460.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$21.18 ¥144

205.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.11

$4.73 ¥32.08

122.20%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$2.97 ¥20.13

-3.37%

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

$2.24 €1.95

$0.46 ¥3.13

386.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.29 ¥1.98

417.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$0.88 ¥5.96

296.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$2.07 ¥14.01

87.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.86 ¥12.60

-38.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.54 ¥10.44

13.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.89 ¥6.02

97.75%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$1.53 ¥10.39

110.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.70

$12.70 ¥86.1

6.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.86

$3.10 ¥21.03

155.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$10.35 ¥70.2

53.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$1.86 ¥12.59

24.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.26 ¥8.56

34.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.48 ¥10.06

35.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$1.10 ¥7.45

123.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.70 ¥4.75

162.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$0.95 ¥6.42

110.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.61 ¥4.12

216.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.51 ¥3.45

54.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$3.09 ¥20.94

113.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.96

$10.74 ¥72.9

-46.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.76 ¥5.14

80.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$1.61 ¥10.90

84.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$0.29 ¥1.97

717.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.51

$16.99 ¥115

168.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$1.35 ¥9.18

217.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.35 ¥2.38

134.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.87

$6.54 ¥44.39

179.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.18 ¥8.00

74.58%

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

$34.3K €29.7K

$19.4K ¥131.4K

76.89%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$16.9K ¥114.8K

132.25%

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

$148 €128

$45.90 ¥311

222.16%

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

$20.52 €17.79

$9.91 ¥67.2

107.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.35

$11.87 ¥80.5

233.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.49

$41.85 ¥284

14.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.41

$13.71 ¥93.0

38.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.96

$6.09 ¥41.27

50.74%

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

$614 €532

$328 ¥2,223

87.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$16.9K ¥114.4K

-4.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$44.31 ¥301

136.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.47

$30.17 ¥205

39.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$72.2 ¥490

30.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$71.2 ¥483

68.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

$281 ¥1,907

479.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

$196 ¥1,332

539.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,628

$593 ¥4,025

410.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,752

$359 ¥2,437

462.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,764

$3,073 ¥20.8K

153.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,705

$2,047 ¥13.9K

108.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Datong: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $281 in Datong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $21.00 in Datong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $198 per month, with Datong 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 Datong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Datong wins on cost – living expenses run 208% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Datong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $1,077 in Datong 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $281 in Datong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $328 in Datong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $718 in Datong versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Datong but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Datong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Datong delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $718 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Datong hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Datong 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 Datong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 208% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.