Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Hsinchu Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Hsinchu

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,217 per month in Lisbon vs $1,163 in Hsinchu, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,245 per month in Lisbon vs $1,895 in Hsinchu, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,272 per month in Lisbon vs $2,626 in Hsinchu, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 91% more than Hsinchu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 66% above the global median, while Hsinchu is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.77

$4.19 NT$133

276.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €54.5

$34.41 NT$1,088

81.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.19

$5.53 NT$175

90.60%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.41

$3.00 NT$95.0

-7.67%

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

$2.28 €1.99

$1.00 NT$31.55

128.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.73 NT$22.99

112.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.09

$1.71 NT$54.1

107.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.44 NT$77.1

63.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$3.25 NT$103

-66.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.77 NT$55.9

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$4.30 NT$136

-58.84%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.72

$2.53 NT$80.1

23.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.64

$14.00 NT$443

-4.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.98

$4.73 NT$150

68.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.89

$15.81 NT$500

0.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$4.33 NT$137

-47.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$2.49 NT$78.9

-34.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.81 NT$89.0

-29.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$3.80 NT$120

-35.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$2.99 NT$94.5

-40.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$2.23 NT$70.5

-11.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.93 NT$60.9

2.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.70

$1.20 NT$38.05

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.70

$4.33 NT$137

51.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.01

$14.32 NT$453

-59.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.67 NT$52.8

-20.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.60

$2.46 NT$78.0

21.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.04

$0.84 NT$26.72

178.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €40.01

$41.13 NT$1,301

11.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.71

$2.85 NT$90.3

49.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.74

$0.78 NT$24.55

7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.45

$5.97 NT$189

215.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.02 NT$32.39

102.94%

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

$35.2K €30.8K

$34.2K NT$1.1M

3.10%

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

$38.6K €33.7K

$25.4K NT$803.6K

52.00%

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

$151 €132

$75.3 NT$2,381

100.76%

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

$20.91 €18.24

$25.35 NT$802

-17.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.50

$25.31 NT$801

56.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €42.22

$44.69 NT$1,414

8.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.24

$24.00 NT$759

-22.46%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.89

$10.30 NT$326

-12.23%

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

$610 €532

$423 NT$13.4K

44.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$11.1K NT$350.3K

46.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.3

$85.7 NT$2,712

18.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €35.41

$35.05 NT$1,109

15.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €81.2

$88.7 NT$2,805

4.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$103 NT$3,259

15.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,398

$561 NT$17.7K

185.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,081

$359 NT$11.4K

245.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,634

$1,206 NT$38.1K

150.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,798

$788 NT$24.9K

161.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,963

$8,306 NT$262.8K

-3.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,955

$6,198 NT$196.1K

-26.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,421

$2,509 NT$79.4K

-35.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

1.57

142.68%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Hsinchu: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,603 in Lisbon versus $561 in Hsinchu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 54% higher in Hsinchu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Lisbon versus $34.00 in Hsinchu. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Lisbon vs $335 in Hsinchu – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Hsinchu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 91% more than Hsinchu, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,325 per month in Lisbon and $1,745 in Hsinchu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hsinchu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Hsinchu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $610 per month in Lisbon and $423 in Hsinchu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hsinchu, where all-in costs run around $1,163, than in Lisbon at $2,217. In Hsinchu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hsinchu costs $1,163 versus $2,217 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Hsinchu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.