Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Nanjing Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Nanjing

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $838 in Nanjing.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,314 in Nanjing.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,791 in Nanjing.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 174% more expensive than in Nanjing, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Nanjing is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$2.86 ¥19.32

466.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$22.34 ¥151

183.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$4.79 ¥32.36

115.45%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.17 ¥21.45

-10.73%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.41 ¥2.77

458.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.26 ¥1.76

507.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$0.86 ¥5.81

295.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.04 ¥13.76

97.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$2.31 ¥15.62

-52.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.16 ¥14.57

-18.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.83 ¥5.59

112.05%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.54 ¥10.39

105.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$8.92 ¥60.3

47.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$2.73 ¥18.46

191.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$9.14 ¥61.8

69.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.22 ¥15.02

6.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.38 ¥9.33

23.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.61 ¥10.86

24.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.15 ¥7.78

111.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.86 ¥5.83

104.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.97 ¥6.58

109.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.87 ¥5.87

120.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.61 ¥4.12

39.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.58 ¥24.22

83.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$13.08 ¥88.4

-57.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.92 ¥6.24

44.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.49 ¥10.04

99.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.27 ¥1.82

744.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$27.63 ¥187

65.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.56 ¥10.57

171.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.36 ¥2.41

125.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$8.27 ¥55.9

122.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.17 ¥7.90

77.78%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$17.4K ¥117.6K

99.27%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$14.6K ¥98.8K

167.80%

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

$148 €130

$42.14 ¥285

251.33%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$11.04 ¥74.6

85.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$11.01 ¥74.4

259.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$26.17 ¥177

83.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$28.55 ¥193

-34.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$5.47 ¥36.96

68.56%

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

$616 €540

$410 ¥2,768

50.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$18.5K ¥125.0K

-11.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$42.77 ¥289

140.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$32.33 ¥218

29.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$69.3 ¥468

36.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$84.4 ¥570

44.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$428 ¥2,891

281.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$308 ¥2,080

300.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$888 ¥6,000

248.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$552 ¥3,729

268.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$5,328 ¥36.0K

46.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$3,074 ¥20.8K

42.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,341 ¥9,063

19.84%

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 Nanjing: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $428 in Nanjing. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 20% 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 $22.00 in Nanjing for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $203 per month, with Nanjing 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 Nanjing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Nanjing differ by about 174% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $838 including rent). Nanjing is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% 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 $428 in Nanjing. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $410 in Nanjing. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $838 in Nanjing versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nanjing but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Nanjing 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 Nanjing 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 Nanjing gentler on the wallet – expenses run 174% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.