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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $753 in Foshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,220 in Foshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,687 in Foshan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 193% more expensive than Foshan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Foshan is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$3.22 ¥21.80

394.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$22.60 ¥153

186.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$4.99 ¥33.76

110.62%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.16 ¥21.42

-9.18%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.46 ¥3.10

386.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.28 ¥1.87

435.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.09 ¥7.38

220.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$1.65 ¥11.19

135.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.79 ¥12.14

-36.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.96 ¥13.24

-10.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.22 ¥8.28

44.26%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.87 ¥12.66

72.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$13.00 ¥88.0

3.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.86 ¥26.13

104.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$13.38 ¥90.6

18.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.81 ¥12.25

27.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.27 ¥8.57

33.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.73 ¥11.70

16.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.40 ¥9.48

75.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.00 ¥6.79

84.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.05 ¥7.08

90.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.70 ¥4.71

175.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.61 ¥4.11

29.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$3.55 ¥24.06

86.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$10.24 ¥69.3

-44.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.96 ¥6.51

42.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.40 ¥9.48

112.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.27 ¥1.81

777.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$11.02 ¥74.6

313.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.71 ¥11.58

150.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.35 ¥2.35

134.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$6.93 ¥46.91

164.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.17 ¥7.92

76.07%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$21.3K ¥144.1K

60.98%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$19.6K ¥132.4K

100.95%

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

$148 €127

$65.1 ¥441

127.04%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$10.20 ¥69.1

101.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$12.90 ¥87.3

207.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$66.9 ¥453

-28.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$20.34 ¥138

-6.98%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$6.22 ¥42.10

47.59%

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

$614 €529

$415 ¥2,809

47.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$18.2K ¥123.2K

-11.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$42.80 ¥290

144.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$28.67 ¥194

46.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$70.5 ¥477

33.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$77.9 ¥527

53.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$280 ¥1,894

481.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$142 ¥958

786.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$580 ¥3,927

422.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$313 ¥2,119

545.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$4,353 ¥29.5K

79.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$1,819 ¥12.3K

134.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$793 ¥5,367

102.21%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Foshan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $280 in Foshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 102% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $23.00 in Foshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $222 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 193% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Lisbon pays 102% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $280 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 313% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $415 in Foshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $753 in Foshan versus $2,210 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 193% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.