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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $494 in Kaifeng.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $799 in Kaifeng.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,104 in Kaifeng.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 365% more expensive than in Kaifeng, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Kaifeng is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$1.74 ¥11.65

910.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$13.29 ¥89.1

372.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$4.18 ¥28.00

177.03%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.51 ¥16.82

23.51%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.38 ¥2.57

555.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.14 ¥0.93

1142.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$0.92 ¥6.19

278.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$1.65 ¥11.05

108.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.54 ¥10.32

-25.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.52 ¥10.15

25.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.85 ¥5.72

76.47%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$0.91 ¥6.08

337.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$6.87 ¥46.02

93.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$2.37 ¥15.85

237.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$10.01 ¥67.0

80.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$0.84 ¥5.63

179.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.97 ¥6.46

80.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$0.63 ¥4.21

193.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$0.61 ¥4.08

318.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.63 ¥4.19

192.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.68 ¥4.56

208.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.23 ¥1.55

547.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.52 ¥3.50

57.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$2.99 ¥20.04

137.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$14.62 ¥97.9

-59.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.00 ¥6.71

31.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.01 ¥13.46

5.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.16 ¥1.07

1375.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.16 ¥7.79

251.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.14 ¥0.91

714.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$3.50 ¥23.42

388.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.23 ¥8.24

87.80%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$19.4K ¥130.1K

75.69%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$14.6K ¥97.8K

183.41%

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

$169 €147

$44.50 ¥298

278.76%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$4.91 ¥32.86

293.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$5.18 ¥34.71

546.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$29.77 ¥199

64.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$10.58 ¥70.8

83.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$3.67 ¥24.61

160.76%

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

$696 €607

$311 ¥2,080

124.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$22.1K ¥147.9K

-21.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$52.7 ¥353

99.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$31.45 ¥211

51.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$70.3 ¥471

42.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$43.85 ¥294

183.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$121 ¥808

1277.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$90.2 ¥604

1281.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$221 ¥1,479

1242.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$175 ¥1,175

1067.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$579 ¥3,878

181.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.1

21.94%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Kaifeng: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $121 in Kaifeng. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 182% 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 $13.00 in Kaifeng for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $164 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 365% 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 182% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $121 in Kaifeng. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $494 in Kaifeng – a 365% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $494 in Kaifeng versus $2,296 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 $494 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 365% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.