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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $776 in Hefei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,235 in Hefei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,694 in Hefei.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 198% more expensive than in Hefei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Hefei is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$2.46 ¥16.48

603.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$22.01 ¥148

187.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$4.51 ¥30.25

152.55%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.71 ¥18.13

17.71%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.53 ¥3.53

362.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.29 ¥1.95

506.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.02 ¥6.81

251.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.05 ¥13.75

65.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.62 ¥10.85

-23.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.95 ¥13.04

1.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.80 ¥5.38

90.00%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$1.83 ¥12.25

120.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$13.89 ¥93.1

-2.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$4.91 ¥32.93

70.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$11.58 ¥77.6

57.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.22 ¥14.89

3.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.67 ¥11.19

4.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.71 ¥11.46

8.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.53 ¥10.23

71.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.82 ¥5.52

134.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.92 ¥6.18

127.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.85 ¥5.68

69.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.70 ¥4.67

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.03 ¥20.29

123.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$11.86 ¥79.5

-51.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.92 ¥6.16

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.97 ¥13.19

12.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.29 ¥1.93

727.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

$45.35 ¥304

3.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.18 ¥7.87

253.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.31 ¥2.11

267.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$3.47 ¥23.26

409.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.23 ¥8.27

88.62%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$19.2K ¥128.5K

84.32%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$16.7K ¥112.2K

147.47%

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

$170 €147

$49.41 ¥331

244.73%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$9.12 ¥61.1

112.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$11.74 ¥78.7

186.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$15.74 ¥105

205.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$15.29 ¥102

30.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$6.20 ¥41.53

60.00%

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

$717 €617

$244 ¥1,636

193.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$8,710 ¥58.4K

100.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$89.8 ¥602

16.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$32.55 ¥218

44.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$63.2 ¥424

63.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$94.8 ¥635

30.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$247 ¥1,655

578.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$182 ¥1,220

598.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$545 ¥3,654

447.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$334 ¥2,236

497.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$3,509 ¥23.5K

123.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$1,939 ¥13.0K

140.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$1,014 ¥6,796

56.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.15

20.32%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Hefei: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $247 in Hefei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 56% 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 Hefei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $231 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 198% 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.

Average pay runs 56% 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 $247 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 $22.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $776 in Hefei – a 198% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $776 in Hefei versus $2,316 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 $776 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 198% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.