Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kaohsiung Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kaohsiung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $1,172 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,912 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,652 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 89% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Kaohsiung is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.77

$3.96 NT$125

298.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €54.5

$33.68 NT$1,066

85.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.19

$5.47 NT$173

92.69%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.41

$3.08 NT$97.4

-10.06%

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

$2.28 €1.99

$1.01 NT$32.01

125.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.77 NT$24.26

101.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.09

$1.67 NT$52.9

112.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.64 NT$83.5

50.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$3.58 NT$113

-69.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.54

$2.00 NT$63.2

-11.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$2.67 NT$84.4

-33.71%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.72

$3.38 NT$107

-7.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.64

$15.72 NT$497

-15.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.98

$9.24 NT$292

-13.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.89

$17.80 NT$563

-10.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$6.18 NT$195

-63.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$2.49 NT$78.7

-34.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.82 NT$89.1

-29.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$4.08 NT$129

-39.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$2.90 NT$91.6

-38.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$2.14 NT$67.7

-7.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.86 NT$58.9

5.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.70

$1.19 NT$37.77

-32.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.70

$4.44 NT$140

47.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.01

$16.12 NT$510

-64.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.71 NT$54.1

-22.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.60

$2.45 NT$77.4

22.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.04

$0.87 NT$27.59

168.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €40.01

$26.87 NT$850

70.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.71

$2.94 NT$93.2

44.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.74

$0.75 NT$23.59

12.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.45

$6.25 NT$198

201.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.07 NT$33.70

93.46%

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

$35.2K €30.8K

$34.3K NT$1.1M

2.70%

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

$38.6K €33.7K

$25.2K NT$797.4K

53.17%

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

$151 €132

$105 NT$3,327

43.71%

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

$20.91 €18.24

$25.70 NT$813

-18.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.50

$25.65 NT$811

54.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €42.22

$39.21 NT$1,240

23.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.24

$11.36 NT$359

63.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.89

$10.04 NT$318

-9.96%

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

$610 €532

$422 NT$13.3K

44.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$11.4K NT$359.2K

43.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.3

$96.6 NT$3,055

4.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €35.41

$35.74 NT$1,131

13.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €81.2

$89.7 NT$2,837

3.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$101 NT$3,207

17.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,398

$437 NT$13.8K

266.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,081

$282 NT$8,931

338.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,634

$960 NT$30.4K

214.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,798

$679 NT$21.5K

203.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,963

$4,696 NT$148.6K

69.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,955

$3,166 NT$100.2K

43.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,421

$1,492 NT$47.2K

9.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

2.3

65.65%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $437 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 9% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $385, 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 Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Kaohsiung differ by about 89% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $1,172 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $437 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $422 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 44% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,172 in Kaohsiung versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.