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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $723 in Lanzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,141 in Lanzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,559 in Lanzhou.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 220% more expensive than in Lanzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Lanzhou is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$2.22 ¥14.89

679.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$26.60 ¥179

137.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$5.76 ¥38.68

97.74%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$2.55 ¥17.11

25.10%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.46 ¥3.10

432.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.31 ¥2.08

467.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$0.65 ¥4.36

452.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.11 ¥14.18

60.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.82 ¥12.24

-31.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.65 ¥11.09

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.99 ¥6.66

53.54%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$1.98 ¥13.25

104.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$13.18 ¥88.5

2.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$3.46 ¥23.20

142.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$12.26 ¥82.3

48.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.90 ¥12.76

20.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.31 ¥8.76

32.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.59 ¥10.65

16.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.24 ¥8.29

112.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.61 ¥4.07

214.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.93 ¥6.26

124.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.58 ¥3.87

148.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.58 ¥3.91

44.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.79 ¥25.40

78.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$11.39 ¥76.5

-49.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.80 ¥5.38

72.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.59 ¥10.65

39.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.29 ¥1.93

727.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$17.87 ¥120

161.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.84 ¥12.36

126.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.29 ¥1.94

293.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$7.02 ¥47.08

151.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.42 ¥9.56

63.38%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$21.8K ¥146.3K

62.06%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$15.8K ¥106.1K

162.09%

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

$170 €146

$55.1 ¥370

209.30%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$8.55 ¥57.4

126.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$10.94 ¥73.4

207.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$40.64 ¥273

18.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$14.60 ¥98.0

36.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$6.41 ¥43.00

54.76%

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

$717 €617

$415 ¥2,787

72.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$16.8K ¥112.9K

3.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$41.80 ¥280

150.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$33.84 ¥227

38.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$75.0 ¥503

37.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$90.1 ¥604

37.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$293 ¥1,963

473.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$166 ¥1,114

665.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$591 ¥3,965

405.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$291 ¥1,953

584.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$2,688 ¥18.0K

191.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,664 ¥11.2K

179.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$953 ¥6,393

66.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

26.33%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lanzhou: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $293 in Lanzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 66% 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 $27.00 in Lanzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $213 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 220% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 66% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $293 in Lanzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $415 in Lanzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $723 in Lanzhou versus $2,316 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 220% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.