Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Qinhuangdao

For one person, living is cheaper in Qinhuangdao: $714 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Qinhuangdao, China
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Qinhuangdao
🇨🇳 China
$714
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Qinhuangdao

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Qinhuangdao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $714 in Qinhuangdao.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Qinhuangdao $714

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $1,135 in Qinhuangdao.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Qinhuangdao $1,135

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $1,556 in Qinhuangdao.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Qinhuangdao $1,556

Living in Lisbon is roughly 208% more expensive than in Qinhuangdao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Qinhuangdao is 47% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Qinhuangdao
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.22
$2.76 ¥18.36
517.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.6
$21.79 ¥145
185.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.84
$4.88 ¥32.50
125.82%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.79
$3.04 ¥20.24
2.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$0.47 ¥3.12
382.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.27 ¥1.78
544.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.06
$0.92 ¥6.15
271.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.34
$2.13 ¥14.18
75.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Qinhuangdao
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.05
$1.85 ¥12.31
-36.76%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.55 ¥10.33
20.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.38
$0.89 ¥5.92
73.03%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.63
$1.53 ¥10.20
165.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.53
$13.05 ¥86.9
-1.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.06
$3.11 ¥20.71
154.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.76
$10.33 ¥68.8
70.76%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.02
$1.87 ¥12.46
20.86%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.56
$1.25 ¥8.32
40.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.69
$1.47 ¥9.77
28.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.28
$1.15 ¥7.63
122.61%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.65
$0.73 ¥4.87
153.42%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$0.95 ¥6.33
107.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$0.60 ¥3.99
141.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$0.51 ¥3.41
50.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.99
$3.05 ¥20.32
120.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.06
$10.69 ¥71.2
-46.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$0.79 ¥5.25
73.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.89
$1.64 ¥10.89
28.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Qinhuangdao
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$0.27 ¥1.78
759.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.68
$16.97 ¥113
161.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.52
$1.42 ¥9.48
178.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.94
$0.33 ¥2.18
218.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.32
$6.62 ¥44.04
159.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.96
$1.14 ¥7.58
92.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.2K
$19.2K ¥127.8K
75.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.2K
$17.1K ¥113.8K
123.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Qinhuangdao
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$44.64 ¥297
266.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.50
$9.87 ¥65.7
87.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.44
$11.90 ¥79.2
176.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Qinhuangdao
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.96
$42.14 ¥281
8.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.68
$14.09 ¥93.8
32.58%
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.71
$5.79 ¥38.55
68.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Qinhuangdao
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €611
$337 ¥2,244
102.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$17.2K ¥114.2K
2.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Qinhuangdao
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.7
$44.18 ¥294
134.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.26
$30.35 ¥202
52.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €89.1
$71.8 ¥478
38.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$70.6 ¥470
76.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Qinhuangdao
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,419
$276 ¥1,835
476.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,044
$191 ¥1,272
511.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,546
$601 ¥3,998
374.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,780
$362 ¥2,413
449.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,960
$3,063 ¥20.4K
154.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,946
$2,068 ¥13.8K
113.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Qinhuangdao
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,429
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.89
-1.03%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Qinhuangdao: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Qinhuangdao
$191 83.7% $978
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Qinhuangdao
$199 27.1% $74
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Qinhuangdao
$85 65.6% $162
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Qinhuangdao
$66 69.1% $149
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Qinhuangdao
$98 42% $71
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Qinhuangdao
$54 17.8% $12
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Qinhuangdao
$21 66.5% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $276 in Qinhuangdao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $22 in Qinhuangdao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $199 per month, with Qinhuangdao cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇨🇳 Qinhuangdao
🕒 Local time
21:36 9:36 PM
05:36 5:36 AM
8 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
2,987,605
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.45 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Qinhuangdao 9,840 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Qinhuangdao

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Qinhuangdao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Qinhuangdao?
Lisbon and Qinhuangdao differ by about 208% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $714 including rent). Qinhuangdao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Qinhuangdao?
You’d need roughly $3,302 in Lisbon and $1,071 in Qinhuangdao to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Qinhuangdao?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $276 in Qinhuangdao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Qinhuangdao?
Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $337 in Qinhuangdao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $714 in Qinhuangdao versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Qinhuangdao but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Qinhuangdao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Qinhuangdao?
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.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Qinhuangdao?
Expats usually find Qinhuangdao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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