Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kaifeng Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kaifeng

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $704 in Kaifeng.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,103 in Kaifeng.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,501 in Kaifeng.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 224% more expensive than in Kaifeng, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Kaifeng is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$2.77 ¥18.73

468.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$14.19 ¥95.8

347.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$4.26 ¥28.80

145.31%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$2.11 ¥14.25

37.91%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.47 ¥3.14

387.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.22 ¥1.49

581.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$1.10 ¥7.41

223.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$2.04 ¥13.75

94.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.85 ¥12.48

-41.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.55 ¥10.48

13.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$0.90 ¥6.07

88.89%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$1.63 ¥11.03

99.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$13.03 ¥88.0

1.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$3.24 ¥21.89

137.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$10.25 ¥69.2

53.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.80 ¥12.14

26.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.22 ¥8.22

36.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$0.60 ¥4.05

236.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$1.10 ¥7.43

124.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$0.73 ¥4.91

145.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$0.98 ¥6.64

111.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.60 ¥4.07

228.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.55 ¥3.72

50.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$3.08 ¥20.82

112.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$14.80 ¥100.0

-62.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$0.79 ¥5.33

68.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$1.59 ¥10.72

89.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.27 ¥1.81

740.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$17.01 ¥115

172.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$1.41 ¥9.51

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.35 ¥2.37

142.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$6.50 ¥43.88

189.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.18 ¥7.97

71.19%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$19.7K ¥133.2K

77.29%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$16.8K ¥113.8K

135.32%

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

$148 €129

$45.23 ¥306

227.06%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$9.87 ¥66.7

107.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$11.35 ¥76.7

248.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$41.93 ¥283

14.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$13.69 ¥92.5

34.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$6.14 ¥41.46

48.21%

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

$615 €536

$338 ¥2,285

81.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$17.2K ¥116.5K

-5.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$44.21 ¥299

129.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$30.93 ¥209

36.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$72.0 ¥486

28.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$74.8 ¥505

63.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$280 ¥1,893

474.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$189 ¥1,273

564.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$600 ¥4,053

411.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$355 ¥2,398

473.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$574 ¥3,876

179.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.87

-1.55%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kaifeng: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $280 in Kaifeng. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 179% 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 $14.00 in Kaifeng for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $204 per month, with Kaifeng 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 Kaifeng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaifeng wins on cost – living expenses run 224% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kaifeng the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 179% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $280 in Kaifeng. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kaifeng – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $704 in Kaifeng – a 224% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $704 in Kaifeng versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kaifeng but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kaifeng the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kaifeng delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $704 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kaifeng hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Kaifeng 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 Kaifeng gentler on the wallet – expenses run 224% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.