Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Foshan Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Foshan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $735 in Foshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,180 in Foshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,625 in Foshan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 212% more expensive than in Foshan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Foshan is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$3.11 ¥21.00

420.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$22.61 ¥153

180.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$4.94 ¥33.37

108.91%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.10 ¥20.97

-8.71%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.50 ¥3.35

358.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.30 ¥2.05

426.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.09 ¥7.37

211.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$1.64 ¥11.09

145.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.74 ¥11.78

-37.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.02 ¥13.68

-13.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.24 ¥8.38

41.94%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.88 ¥12.67

68.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$13.04 ¥88.1

1.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$4.06 ¥27.40

96.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$13.55 ¥91.6

14.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.82 ¥12.31

30.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.22 ¥8.21

40.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.74 ¥11.77

15.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.39 ¥9.40

74.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.01 ¥6.81

74.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.06 ¥7.15

91.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.74 ¥4.99

159.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.56 ¥3.79

51.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.38 ¥22.82

94.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$10.34 ¥69.9

-46.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.97 ¥6.58

37.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.43 ¥9.69

107.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.29 ¥1.98

686.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$11.21 ¥75.7

308.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.69 ¥11.42

150.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.37 ¥2.53

118.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$6.67 ¥45.06

176.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.17 ¥7.92

77.78%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$20.9K ¥141.0K

66.14%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$19.7K ¥133.1K

98.82%

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

$148 €130

$65.4 ¥442

126.31%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$10.19 ¥68.8

100.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$13.17 ¥89.0

200.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$67.9 ¥459

-29.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$19.83 ¥134

-6.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$6.39 ¥43.20

44.29%

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

$616 €540

$415 ¥2,802

48.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$18.4K ¥124.6K

-10.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$43.07 ¥291

138.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$28.15 ¥190

48.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$70.0 ¥473

35.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$78.8 ¥533

54.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$281 ¥1,896

481.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$141 ¥956

771.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$572 ¥3,866

441.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$309 ¥2,090

556.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$4,243 ¥28.7K

84.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,850 ¥12.5K

137.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$811 ¥5,478

98.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.04

-5.69%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Foshan: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $281 in Foshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 98% 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 $23.00 in Foshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $224 per month, with Foshan 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 Foshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Foshan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 212% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 98% 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 $281 in Foshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Foshan runs roughly 308% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $415 in Foshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $735 in Foshan versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Foshan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Foshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Foshan 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 Foshan 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 Foshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 212% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.