Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lanzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lanzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $646 in Lanzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,016 in Lanzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,386 in Lanzhou.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 255% more expensive than in Lanzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Lanzhou is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$2.05 ¥13.86

689.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$20.92 ¥141

202.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$6.22 ¥42.00

65.92%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.95 ¥19.91

-4.07%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.40 ¥2.72

472.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.27 ¥1.82

485.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$0.58 ¥3.89

486.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$1.64 ¥11.11

145.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.60 ¥10.83

-31.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.61 ¥10.90

8.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.94 ¥6.35

87.23%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.82 ¥12.32

74.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$12.73 ¥86.0

3.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$3.16 ¥21.37

152.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$8.85 ¥59.8

75.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.80 ¥12.16

31.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.44 ¥9.74

18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.30 ¥8.79

54.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.94 ¥6.35

158.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.48 ¥3.25

266.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.88 ¥5.93

130.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.46 ¥3.08

317.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.52 ¥3.48

63.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.18 ¥21.48

106.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$11.56 ¥78.1

-51.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.75 ¥5.05

77.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.57 ¥10.62

89.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.27 ¥1.80

744.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$16.53 ¥112

177.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.37 ¥9.29

208.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.20 ¥1.36

305.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$2.44 ¥16.49

655.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.36 ¥9.22

52.94%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$19.7K ¥133.0K

76.19%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$16.5K ¥111.7K

136.80%

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

$148 €130

$44.89 ¥303

229.81%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$10.02 ¥67.7

104.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$11.66 ¥78.8

239.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$41.19 ¥278

16.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$13.76 ¥93.0

35.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$6.14 ¥41.46

50.16%

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

$616 €540

$339 ¥2,291

81.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$28.0K ¥189.2K

-41.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$44.28 ¥299

131.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$29.89 ¥202

39.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$70.3 ¥475

34.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$40.96 ¥277

197.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$275 ¥1,858

493.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$159 ¥1,077

672.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$601 ¥4,060

415.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$273 ¥1,846

643.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$2,679 ¥18.1K

192.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,710 ¥11.6K

156.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$926 ¥6,258

73.54%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lanzhou: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $275 in Lanzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 74% 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 $21.00 in Lanzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $193 per month, with Lanzhou 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 Lanzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lanzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 255% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 74% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $275 in Lanzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $339 in Lanzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $646 in Lanzhou versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lanzhou but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Lanzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lanzhou is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Lanzhou 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 Lanzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 255% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.