Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Gwangju Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Gwangju

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,309 in Gwangju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,035 in Gwangju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,760 in Gwangju.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 73% more expensive than in Gwangju, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Gwangju is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$6.09 ₩8,171

188.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$35.02 ₩47.0K

84.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$5.94 ₩7,961

96.13%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.19 ₩4,272

2.19%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.54 ₩2,061

61.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.58 ₩778

187.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.35 ₩3,152

47.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.40 ₩5,906

-18.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.78 ₩2,382

-33.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.46 ₩3,294

-20.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.34 ₩3,143

-33.33%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.63 ₩3,521

52.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$9.09 ₩12.2K

45.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$7.89 ₩10.6K

6.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$10.96 ₩14.7K

66.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$5.29 ₩7,099

-56.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.94 ₩3,943

-41.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$3.76 ₩5,038

-48.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.92 ₩3,918

-9.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$3.44 ₩4,611

-44.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.83 ₩2,460

15.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$2.08 ₩2,795

-30.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.27 ₩1,708

-37.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.41 ₩4,578

105.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$11.10 ₩14.9K

-46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.45 ₩1,941

-6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.19 ₩2,942

-1.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.00 ₩1,335

138.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$66.5 ₩89.2K

-30.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$2.99 ₩4,014

40.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.62 ₩838

77.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$7.76 ₩10.4K

122.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.22 ₩1,630

84.43%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$28.1K ₩37.7M

22.67%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$34.9K ₩46.9M

19.09%

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

$171 €147

$207 ₩277.6K

-17.46%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$43.65 ₩58.5K

-56.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$21.13 ₩28.3K

62.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$58.8 ₩78.9K

-15.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$10.49 ₩14.1K

85.99%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$11.31 ₩15.2K

-10.70%

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

$699 €603

$301 ₩403.2K

132.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$17.4K ₩23.3M

2.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$30.98 ₩41.5K

237.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$26.13 ₩35.0K

83.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$63.8 ₩85.6K

59.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$90.0 ₩120.7K

42.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$506 ₩679.2K

228.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$360 ₩482.2K

241.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,167 ₩1.6M

149.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$732 ₩981.2K

176.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$7,825 ₩10.5M

3.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$6,331 ₩8.5M

-26.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$2,873 ₩3.9M

-43.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.6

5.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Gwangju: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $506 in Gwangju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gwangju pays 77% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $35.00 in Gwangju. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $307, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Gwangju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gwangju is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 77% lower in Gwangju. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $506 in Gwangju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Gwangju – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $64.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $1,309 in Gwangju – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,309 in Gwangju versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gwangju but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Gwangju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gwangju 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 Gwangju 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 Gwangju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.