Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dongguan Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dongguan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $805 in Dongguan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,260 in Dongguan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,716 in Dongguan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 188% more expensive than in Dongguan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Dongguan is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$2.17 ¥14.53

697.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$22.45 ¥150

181.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$5.17 ¥34.62

120.31%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.52 ¥16.87

26.59%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.51 ¥3.43

380.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.29 ¥1.93

506.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$0.89 ¥5.94

303.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.19 ¥14.70

54.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.55 ¥10.36

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.68 ¥11.28

17.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.95 ¥6.40

60.00%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$1.67 ¥11.18

141.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$20.69 ¥139

-34.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$3.59 ¥24.04

133.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$14.66 ¥98.2

24.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.21 ¥14.78

3.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.59 ¥10.68

9.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.86 ¥12.44

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.42 ¥9.53

85.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.21 ¥8.12

58.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.47 ¥9.84

42.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.55 ¥3.68

161.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.54 ¥3.59

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$4.50 ¥30.14

50.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$12.28 ¥82.3

-53.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.91 ¥6.07

51.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.83 ¥12.23

21.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.38 ¥2.57

531.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

$22.70 ¥152

106.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.21 ¥8.10

244.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.40 ¥2.69

185.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$4.59 ¥30.77

285.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.22 ¥8.19

90.16%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$19.5K ¥130.4K

81.55%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$18.2K ¥122.0K

127.64%

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

$170 €147

$63.1 ¥423

169.77%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$9.28 ¥62.2

108.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$12.74 ¥85.4

164.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$51.7 ¥347

-7.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$16.26 ¥109

22.39%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$7.59 ¥50.9

30.70%

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

$717 €617

$529 ¥3,542

35.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$23.6K ¥157.9K

-25.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$31.53 ¥211

232.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$39.51 ¥265

18.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$69.1 ¥463

49.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$40.86 ¥274

203.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$374 ¥2,508

347.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$221 ¥1,479

475.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$656 ¥4,396

354.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$419 ¥2,809

375.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$5,558 ¥37.2K

40.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$3,047 ¥20.4K

52.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$844 ¥5,656

87.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.4

11.47%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Dongguan: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $374 in Dongguan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 88% 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 $22.00 in Dongguan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $250 per month, with Dongguan 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 Dongguan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dongguan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 188% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 88% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $374 in Dongguan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dongguan runs roughly 106% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $529 in Dongguan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $805 in Dongguan versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dongguan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Dongguan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dongguan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Dongguan 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 Dongguan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 188% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.