Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Hefei Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Hefei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $735 in Hefei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,184 in Hefei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,634 in Hefei.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 201% more expensive than Hefei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Hefei is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$3.44 ¥23.30

362.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$16.83 ¥114

284.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$4.15 ¥28.08

153.25%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.35 ¥15.89

22.13%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.47 ¥3.19

376.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.23 ¥1.56

552.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$0.82 ¥5.58

325.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.11 ¥14.29

83.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.69 ¥11.43

-32.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.61 ¥10.91

8.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.20 ¥8.11

46.67%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.91 ¥12.93

68.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$8.60 ¥58.2

56.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.07 ¥27.57

94.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$9.92 ¥67.1

59.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.80 ¥12.16

28.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.82 ¥5.57

107.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.28 ¥8.63

57.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.83 ¥5.59

196.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.60 ¥4.09

206.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.49 ¥3.29

308.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.53 ¥3.59

264.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.56 ¥3.76

41.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$2.81 ¥19.01

135.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$9.50 ¥64.3

-39.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.72 ¥4.86

90.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.64 ¥11.13

81.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.33 ¥2.25

618.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$41.14 ¥278

10.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.34 ¥9.08

220.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.26 ¥1.74

215.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$2.54 ¥17.21

620.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.15 ¥7.81

79.13%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$19.6K ¥132.4K

75.28%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$19.2K ¥129.7K

105.03%

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

$148 €127

$40.99 ¥277

260.75%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$12.86 ¥87.1

59.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$13.70 ¥92.7

189.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$82.8 ¥561

-42.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$12.49 ¥84.6

51.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$5.81 ¥39.33

58.00%

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

$614 €529

$257 ¥1,742

138.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$8,920 ¥60.4K

79.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$57.9 ¥392

80.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$30.23 ¥205

39.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$60.9 ¥412

54.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$74.5 ¥504

60.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$229 ¥1,547

612.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$180 ¥1,220

596.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$484 ¥3,276

526.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$366 ¥2,479

451.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$3,744 ¥25.3K

108.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$2,044 ¥13.8K

109.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$962 ¥6,512

66.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.37

-12.81%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Hefei: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $229 in Hefei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 67% 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 $17.00 in Hefei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $182 per month, with Hefei 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 Hefei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hefei wins on cost – living expenses run 201% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hefei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lisbon pays 67% 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 $229 in Hefei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Hefei – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $735 in Hefei – a 201% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $735 in Hefei versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hefei but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Hefei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hefei delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $735 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hefei hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Hefei 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 Hefei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 201% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.