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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,120 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,858 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,597 in Hua-lien.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 105% more expensive than in Hua-lien, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Hua-lien is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$4.16 NT$134

289.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$33.92 NT$1,095

86.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$4.68 NT$151

120.51%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.55 NT$115

-20.28%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.97 NT$31.38

136.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.64 NT$20.69

146.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.28 NT$41.28

165.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$1.97 NT$63.5

104.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$3.26 NT$105

-66.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.83 NT$59.0

-4.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$4.53 NT$146

-61.15%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.54 NT$81.9

24.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$14.05 NT$453

-6.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$4.72 NT$152

68.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$15.79 NT$510

-1.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$4.45 NT$144

-46.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.44 NT$78.7

-29.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$4.29 NT$138

-53.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$3.92 NT$127

-38.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$4.59 NT$148

-61.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$4.16 NT$134

-51.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.63 NT$84.8

-27.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.33 NT$42.78

-36.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$4.93 NT$159

33.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$14.15 NT$457

-60.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.25 NT$72.7

-40.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.88 NT$93.1

3.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.84 NT$26.98

171.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$39.30 NT$1,268

16.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.42 NT$110

23.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.79 NT$25.61

2.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$12.61 NT$407

46.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.06 NT$34.31

96.23%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$42.3K NT$1.4M

-18.02%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$28.7K NT$926.3K

36.44%

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

$148 €130

$76.1 NT$2,455

94.65%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$33.70 NT$1,088

-39.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$25.26 NT$815

56.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$37.01 NT$1,194

29.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$15.46 NT$499

20.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$9.06 NT$293

1.77%

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

$616 €540

$787 NT$25.4K

-21.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$15.7K NT$505.5K

4.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$26.95 NT$870

281.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$47.29 NT$1,526

-11.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$70.4 NT$2,273

34.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$127 NT$4,084

-3.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$437 NT$14.1K

273.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$283 NT$9,149

334.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,023 NT$33.0K

202.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$728 NT$23.5K

179.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$2,897 NT$93.5K

-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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $437 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Hua-lien. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $360, 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 105% 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, salaries run 80% lower in Hua-lien. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $437 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 35% 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 $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,120 in Hua-lien versus $2,291 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 $1,120 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 105% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.