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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,159 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,912 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,666 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 97% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Kaohsiung is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$4.16 NT$134

278.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$34.09 NT$1,101

86.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$5.46 NT$176

91.39%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.99 NT$96.5

-2.68%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.03 NT$33.19

122.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.72 NT$23.25

108.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.66 NT$53.7

114.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.77 NT$89.5

42.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$3.54 NT$114

-69.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.07 NT$66.7

-14.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.60 NT$84.0

-34.62%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$3.32 NT$107

-2.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$15.78 NT$510

-16.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$9.24 NT$298

-16.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$17.93 NT$579

-12.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$5.99 NT$194

-61.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.59 NT$83.5

-35.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.78 NT$89.9

-27.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$4.03 NT$130

-38.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$2.98 NT$96.3

-39.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$2.24 NT$72.5

-7.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.92 NT$61.9

2.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$1.14 NT$36.95

-27.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$4.34 NT$140

50.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$15.18 NT$490

-63.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.65 NT$53.4

-19.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.45 NT$79.2

22.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.81 NT$26.16

180.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$27.16 NT$877

70.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$2.94 NT$94.8

43.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.73 NT$23.55

16.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$6.03 NT$195

212.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.07 NT$34.53

88.79%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$34.2K NT$1.1M

2.29%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$25.7K NT$831.4K

53.97%

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

$148 €128

$105 NT$3,391

40.89%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$25.44 NT$821

-19.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$24.82 NT$802

59.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$38.49 NT$1,243

25.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$11.37 NT$367

61.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$10.36 NT$335

-12.16%

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

$615 €532

$427 NT$13.8K

44.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$11.3K NT$364.0K

44.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$95.0 NT$3,067

6.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$36.22 NT$1,170

16.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$89.4 NT$2,886

3.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$103 NT$3,317

18.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$448 NT$14.5K

259.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$280 NT$9,030

348.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$925 NT$29.9K

231.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$690 NT$22.3K

195.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$4,510 NT$145.6K

71.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$3,159 NT$102.0K

35.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$1,463 NT$47.2K

9.52%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $448 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 10% 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 $34.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $382, 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 97% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,159 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% 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 $448 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $427 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 43% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,159 in Kaohsiung versus $2,280 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 97% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.