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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $696 in Kaifeng.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,104 in Kaifeng.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,512 in Kaifeng.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 225% more expensive than Kaifeng, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Kaifeng is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$2.71 ¥18.34

488.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$13.87 ¥93.8

356.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$4.35 ¥29.40

138.62%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.09 ¥14.16

33.49%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$0.44 ¥2.97

431.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.22 ¥1.49

613.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$1.09 ¥7.38

214.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$2.05 ¥13.88

90.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.84 ¥12.43

-41.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.59 ¥10.72

11.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$0.84 ¥5.65

103.57%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$1.55 ¥10.51

103.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$13.00 ¥87.9

5.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$3.23 ¥21.85

147.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$10.32 ¥69.8

50.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.80 ¥12.19

27.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.26 ¥8.54

30.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$0.60 ¥4.07

223.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.09 ¥7.35

130.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.72 ¥4.87

148.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.97 ¥6.55

107.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.61 ¥4.10

222.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.54 ¥3.65

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$3.18 ¥21.52

113.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$14.89 ¥101

-61.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.75 ¥5.05

85.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.66 ¥11.25

81.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.27 ¥1.81

740.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$16.86 ¥114

169.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.37 ¥9.26

213.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.35 ¥2.39

142.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$6.56 ¥44.35

178.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.12 ¥7.57

77.68%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$19.7K ¥133.2K

77.91%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$16.7K ¥113.0K

136.56%

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

$146 €126

$45.40 ¥307

221.98%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$9.67 ¥65.4

111.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$11.33 ¥76.6

244.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$42.07 ¥284

16.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$14.13 ¥95.6

33.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$6.33 ¥42.79

50.39%

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

$608 €524

$334 ¥2,259

82.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$16.9K ¥114.5K

-2.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$42.69 ¥289

143.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$30.60 ¥207

37.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$70.3 ¥475

31.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$74.9 ¥507

60.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$278 ¥1,877

484.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$186 ¥1,260

580.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$589 ¥3,981

417.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$358 ¥2,422

460.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$574 ¥3,879

176.29%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Kaifeng: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $278 in Kaifeng. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 176% 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 $269 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 225% 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 176% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $278 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 $2,263 per month in Lisbon versus $696 in Kaifeng – a 225% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $696 in Kaifeng versus $2,263 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 $696 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 225% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.