Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Karamay

For one person, living is cheaper in Karamay: $731 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Karamay
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Karamay Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Karamay

🇨🇳 China

$731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Karamay

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Karamay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $731 in Karamay, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Karamay $731

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $1,172 in Karamay, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Karamay $1,172

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $1,612 in Karamay, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Karamay $1,612

Lisbon costs about 202% more than Karamay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 62% above the global median, while Karamay is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$3.04 ¥20.20

447.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$22.13 ¥147

178.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$4.97 ¥33.05

128.57%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$2.84 ¥18.92

4.58%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$0.47 ¥3.14

387.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$0.31 ¥2.09

461.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$1.06 ¥7.06

220.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$2.13 ¥14.15

55.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.86 ¥12.35

-37.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.60 ¥10.65

19.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.01 ¥6.74

49.50%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$1.60 ¥10.63

151.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$13.16 ¥87.6

-1.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$3.35 ¥22.32

131.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$11.42 ¥76.0

55.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$1.83 ¥12.17

25.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.36 ¥9.02

27.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.58 ¥10.49

17.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$1.26 ¥8.38

105.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$0.75 ¥5.01

142.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$0.97 ¥6.48

103.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$0.63 ¥4.18

133.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.60 ¥3.98

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$3.77 ¥25.06

74.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$11.33 ¥75.4

-50.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$0.88 ¥5.85

54.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.59 ¥10.61

34.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$0.33 ¥2.17

606.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$19.01 ¥127

135.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$1.47 ¥9.81

161.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.32 ¥2.16

234.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$7.42 ¥49.40

121.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.26 ¥8.38

74.60%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$18.7K ¥124.4K

82.91%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$15.3K ¥102.0K

152.60%

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

$161 €144

$50.0 ¥333

222.25%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$8.61 ¥57.3

113.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$10.96 ¥72.9

198.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$42.43 ¥282

5.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$16.34 ¥109

16.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$6.40 ¥42.60

50.00%

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

$668 €598

$431 ¥2,869

54.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$17.4K ¥115.5K

1.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$43.82 ¥292

132.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$33.60 ¥224

32.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$74.6 ¥497

32.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$75.4 ¥502

64.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$285 ¥1,896

464.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$185 ¥1,229

544.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$596 ¥3,964

372.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$369 ¥2,455

445.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$3,114 ¥20.7K

151.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$1,975 ¥13.1K

131.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$604 ¥4,018

160.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.36

14.58%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Karamay: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Karamay

$185 25.3% 84.5% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Karamay

$210 28.7% 23.1% $63

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Karamay

$86 11.8% 64.5% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Karamay

$70 9.5% 67.2% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Karamay

$102 14% 38.3% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Karamay

$55 7.6% 13.4% $8.5

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Karamay

$23 3.2% 62.9% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $285 in Karamay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Lisbon are about 2.6 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $22 in Karamay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $210 – making Karamay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇨🇳 Karamay

🕒 Local time

01:54 1:54 AM

09:54 9:54 AM

8 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

490,348

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Karamay 7,330 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

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Lisbon
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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 Karamay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 202%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $1,096 in Karamay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karamay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $285 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Lisbon, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $22 in Karamay. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Karamay, where all-in costs run around $731, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Karamay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Karamay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Karamay. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.