Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ningbo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ningbo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $823 in Ningbo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,331 in Ningbo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,840 in Ningbo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 168% more expensive than Ningbo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Ningbo is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$3.21 ¥21.76

395.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$24.85 ¥168

160.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$4.29 ¥29.04

144.99%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.14 ¥21.26

-8.60%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.45 ¥3.04

397.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.26 ¥1.75

476.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$0.89 ¥6.00

292.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.05 ¥13.89

89.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.00 ¥13.53

-43.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.81 ¥19.01

-37.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.83 ¥5.64

112.05%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.38 ¥9.35

133.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$21.27 ¥144

-36.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.96 ¥33.61

59.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$11.66 ¥79.0

36.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.96 ¥13.27

17.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.42 ¥9.59

19.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.23 ¥15.09

-9.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.10 ¥7.46

123.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.62 ¥4.22

196.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.81 ¥5.46

146.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.59 ¥4.01

227.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.61 ¥4.12

29.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$5.37 ¥36.36

23.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$7.98 ¥54.1

-28.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.14 ¥7.74

20.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.95 ¥13.18

52.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.27 ¥1.81

777.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$16.39 ¥111

177.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.64 ¥11.08

161.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.32 ¥2.19

156.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$6.89 ¥46.66

165.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.15 ¥7.80

79.13%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$21.9K ¥148.6K

56.25%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$19.5K ¥132.0K

101.66%

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

$148 €127

$65.3 ¥442

126.38%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$15.43 ¥105

32.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$6.98 ¥47.28

467.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$21.89 ¥148

118.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$13.03 ¥88.3

45.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$8.25 ¥55.9

11.27%

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

$614 €529

$599 ¥4,055

2.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$15.6K ¥105.8K

2.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$42.73 ¥289

144.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$28.84 ¥195

45.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$69.7 ¥472

34.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$62.3 ¥422

92.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$373 ¥2,527

336.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$258 ¥1,745

387.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$879 ¥5,952

244.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$493 ¥3,339

309.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$4,638 ¥31.4K

68.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$2,605 ¥17.6K

64.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$1,193 ¥8,083

34.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.85

-21.44%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ningbo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $373 in Ningbo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 34% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Ningbo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $252 per month, with Ningbo 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 Ningbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Ningbo differ by about 168% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $823 including rent). Ningbo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 34% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $373 in Ningbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $599 in Ningbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $823 in Ningbo versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ningbo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ningbo 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 Ningbo 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 Ningbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 168% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.