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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $707 in Kaifeng.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,091 in Kaifeng.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,476 in Kaifeng.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 215% more expensive than Kaifeng, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Kaifeng is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$2.85 ¥19.52

467.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$13.97 ¥95.7

362.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$4.20 ¥28.76

147.14%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.10 ¥14.36

31.90%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.47 ¥3.20

378.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.20 ¥1.37

685.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$1.10 ¥7.56

217.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.06 ¥14.09

94.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.84 ¥12.62

-41.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.62 ¥11.07

7.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.90 ¥6.20

93.33%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$1.64 ¥11.26

93.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$12.86 ¥88.1

4.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$3.18 ¥21.76

151.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$10.23 ¥70.0

57.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.81 ¥12.39

25.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.21 ¥8.29

42.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$0.65 ¥4.44

198.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.12 ¥7.69

126.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.69 ¥4.71

165.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.97 ¥6.64

110.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.59 ¥4.06

235.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.55 ¥3.75

54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$3.06 ¥20.98

123.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$14.42 ¥98.7

-59.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.80 ¥5.46

71.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.57 ¥10.77

84.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.27 ¥1.84

744.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$16.39 ¥112

185.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$1.41 ¥9.65

189.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.33 ¥2.25

148.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$6.62 ¥45.31

175.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.14 ¥7.78

76.32%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$19.4K ¥133.1K

81.43%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$16.5K ¥113.2K

133.00%

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

$145 €124

$46.78 ¥320

210.82%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$9.53 ¥65.3

119.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$11.64 ¥79.8

244.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$41.23 ¥282

18.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$14.00 ¥95.9

33.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$6.35 ¥43.53

42.68%

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

$607 €519

$335 ¥2,296

80.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$17.3K ¥118.3K

-5.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$43.58 ¥299

140.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$30.93 ¥212

32.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$72.8 ¥499

28.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$73.2 ¥502

61.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$273 ¥1,872

486.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$188 ¥1,288

557.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$595 ¥4,073

412.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$367 ¥2,513

460.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$3,144 ¥21.5K

145.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,984 ¥13.6K

115.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$635 ¥4,348

149.59%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Kaifeng: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $273 in Kaifeng. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 150% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $14.00 in Kaifeng for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $203 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 215% 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.

Lisbon pays 150% more on average, 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $273 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 $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,227 per month in Lisbon versus $707 in Kaifeng – a 215% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $707 in Kaifeng versus $2,227 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 $707 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 215% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.