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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $708 in Datong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,132 in Datong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,556 in Datong.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 224% more expensive than in Datong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Datong is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.32

$2.71 ¥18.14

549.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$21.85 ¥146

187.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.09

$4.88 ¥32.66

137.30%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.09 ¥20.64

0.32%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.44 ¥2.91

465.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.29 ¥1.96

500.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$0.93 ¥6.21

274.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.15 ¥14.37

60.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.85 ¥12.35

-37.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.55 ¥10.35

23.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.97 ¥6.50

54.64%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$1.60 ¥10.67

148.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.58

$12.86 ¥86.0

3.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$3.15 ¥21.05

154.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.71

$10.23 ¥68.4

76.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.86 ¥12.47

26.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.22 ¥8.13

43.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.49 ¥9.95

24.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.11 ¥7.40

129.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.70 ¥4.71

162.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.89 ¥5.97

135.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.60 ¥4.01

148.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.56 ¥3.72

46.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$3.19 ¥21.30

122.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$10.37 ¥69.3

-43.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$0.74 ¥4.93

77.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.65 ¥11.03

29.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.27 ¥1.79

774.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.60

$16.76 ¥112

178.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.35 ¥9.03

202.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.35 ¥2.37

225.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.89

$6.81 ¥45.56

150.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.13 ¥7.58

104.42%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$19.1K ¥127.5K

78.97%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$17.4K ¥116.5K

137.45%

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

$169 €147

$44.57 ¥298

278.17%

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

$19.33 €16.84

$9.85 ¥65.9

96.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.19

$11.95 ¥79.9

180.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.54

$41.40 ¥277

17.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

$13.65 ¥91.3

42.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$5.91 ¥39.51

61.93%

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

$696 €606

$328 ¥2,192

112.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$16.7K ¥111.9K

3.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$43.16 ¥289

143.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.59

$30.67 ¥205

55.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$73.2 ¥489

37.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$72.2 ¥483

72.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,447

$282 ¥1,887

489.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

$191 ¥1,277

552.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,582

$598 ¥3,997

396.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,784

$355 ¥2,376

476.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,823

$2,973 ¥19.9K

163.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,888

$1,998 ¥13.4K

123.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,421

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.89

-2.83%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Datong: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $282 in Datong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $22.00 in Datong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 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 224% 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 $3,444 in Lisbon and $1,062 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $282 in Datong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 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 40% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $708 in Datong versus $2,296 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 $708 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 224% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.