Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Qingdao, Shandong Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Qingdao, Shandong

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $760 in Qingdao, Shandong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,246 in Qingdao, Shandong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,732 in Qingdao, Shandong.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 198% more expensive than Qingdao, Shandong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Qingdao, Shandong is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$3.28 ¥22.20

385.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$18.22 ¥123

247.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$4.44 ¥30.03

133.78%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$3.41 ¥23.09

-18.18%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$0.53 ¥3.61

341.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.31 ¥2.11

406.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$0.83 ¥5.60

313.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$2.11 ¥14.30

85.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.99 ¥13.43

-45.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.51 ¥10.23

17.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$0.91 ¥6.17

87.91%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$1.88 ¥12.73

67.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$14.96 ¥101

-8.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$4.20 ¥28.40

90.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$10.30 ¥69.7

50.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.36 ¥9.22

68.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.19 ¥8.05

37.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.92 ¥12.97

1.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.05 ¥7.13

139.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.70 ¥4.73

155.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.09 ¥7.35

84.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.02 ¥6.88

93.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.47 ¥3.16

78.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$4.01 ¥27.12

69.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$14.46 ¥97.8

-60.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.04 ¥7.06

33.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.52 ¥10.28

98.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.30 ¥2.04

656.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$16.83 ¥114

169.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.41 ¥9.56

204.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.32 ¥2.16

165.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$7.22 ¥48.85

153.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.11 ¥7.53

79.28%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$20.0K ¥135.3K

75.11%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$13.3K ¥89.7K

198.13%

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

$146 €126

$52.5 ¥355

178.54%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$10.80 ¥73.1

89.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$10.26 ¥69.4

279.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$26.22 ¥177

86.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$21.30 ¥144

-11.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$7.16 ¥48.39

32.96%

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

$608 €524

$340 ¥2,301

78.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$24.3K ¥164.4K

-32.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$76.7 ¥519

35.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$38.22 ¥258

10.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$78.8 ¥533

17.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$101 ¥680

19.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$336 ¥2,269

383.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$189 ¥1,279

570.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$744 ¥5,031

309.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$405 ¥2,738

396.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$3,578 ¥24.2K

114.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$2,141 ¥14.5K

102.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$1,125 ¥7,611

40.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Qingdao, Shandong: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $336 in Qingdao, Shandong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 41% 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 $18.00 in Qingdao, Shandong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $221 per month, with Qingdao, Shandong 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 Qingdao, Shandong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Qingdao, Shandong differ by about 198% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $760 including rent). Qingdao, Shandong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 41% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $336 in Qingdao, Shandong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $340 in Qingdao, Shandong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $760 in Qingdao, Shandong versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Qingdao, Shandong but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Qingdao, Shandong 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 Qingdao, Shandong 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 Qingdao, Shandong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 198% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.