Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Hua-lien Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Hua-lien

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,108 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,874 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,641 in Hua-lien.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 100% more expensive than Hua-lien, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Hua-lien is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$4.05 NT$127

292.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$33.61 NT$1,058

92.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$4.51 NT$142

133.04%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.40 NT$107

-15.59%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.97 NT$30.47

130.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.64 NT$20.19

134.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.31 NT$41.28

166.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.02 NT$63.5

92.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$3.26 NT$102

-65.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.79 NT$56.2

-2.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$4.36 NT$137

-59.63%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.53 NT$79.5

27.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$13.93 NT$439

-3.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.77 NT$150

65.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$16.15 NT$508

-1.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$4.38 NT$138

-47.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.49 NT$78.5

-31.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$4.16 NT$131

-51.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.87 NT$122

-36.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$4.59 NT$145

-59.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$4.03 NT$127

-50.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.56 NT$80.6

-24.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.35 NT$42.43

-41.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$5.10 NT$160

29.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$14.09 NT$443

-59.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$2.13 NT$67.1

-35.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.78 NT$87.4

6.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.83 NT$26.25

185.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$38.74 NT$1,220

17.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.35 NT$106

28.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.72 NT$22.75

13.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$12.74 NT$401

43.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.02 NT$32.11

101.96%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$41.5K NT$1.3M

-17.38%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$29.6K NT$931.0K

32.85%

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

$148 €127

$74.7 NT$2,352

97.87%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$33.24 NT$1,046

-38.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$25.19 NT$793

57.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$37.04 NT$1,166

29.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$15.45 NT$486

22.46%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$9.02 NT$284

1.77%

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

$614 €528

$779 NT$24.5K

-21.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$15.5K NT$489.3K

3.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$27.58 NT$868

279.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$46.63 NT$1,468

-9.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$70.3 NT$2,214

33.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$124 NT$3,908

-3.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$439 NT$13.8K

270.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$283 NT$8,904

343.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,021 NT$32.1K

196.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$741 NT$23.3K

172.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$2,890 NT$91.0K

-44.52%

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 1, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $439 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 80% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Hua-lien. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $358, 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 Hua-lien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hua-lien wins on cost – living expenses run 100% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hua-lien the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Hua-lien earns 80% less. 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $439 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 33% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Hua-lien – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,108 in Hua-lien versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hua-lien but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Hua-lien the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hua-lien delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,108 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hua-lien hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.