Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Quanzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Quanzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $774 in Quanzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,142 in Quanzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,510 in Quanzhou.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 195% more expensive than in Quanzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Quanzhou is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$2.14 ¥14.48

635.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$23.42 ¥158

171.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$5.74 ¥38.72

82.06%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.71 ¥18.31

7.38%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.51 ¥3.45

349.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.27 ¥1.82

455.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.41 ¥9.53

152.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.98 ¥20.11

32.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.35 ¥9.12

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.73 ¥4.92

141.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$0.77 ¥5.18

120.78%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$1.13 ¥7.65

187.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$11.35 ¥76.6

16.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$2.27 ¥15.35

239.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$10.99 ¥74.2

43.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.48 ¥16.72

-8.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.14 ¥7.68

45.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.49 ¥10.05

35.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.93 ¥13.00

27.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.97 ¥6.54

84.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.72 ¥11.60

20.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.81 ¥5.45

143.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.54 ¥3.67

53.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$2.87 ¥19.38

128.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$7.22 ¥48.75

-22.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$0.79 ¥5.35

68.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.58 ¥10.67

90.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.29 ¥1.96

682.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$33.49 ¥226

38.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$1.13 ¥7.63

274.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.26 ¥1.74

226.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$6.48 ¥43.77

190.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.16 ¥7.84

74.14%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$15.5K ¥104.3K

126.18%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$14.0K ¥94.2K

184.11%

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

$148 €128

$38.59 ¥261

283.34%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$4.16 ¥28.09

393.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$11.41 ¥77.0

246.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$41.61 ¥281

15.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$28.00 ¥189

-34.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$5.55 ¥37.46

63.96%

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

$615 €532

$116 ¥781

431.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$16.0K ¥108.0K

1.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$28.38 ¥192

257.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$26.83 ¥181

56.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$83.3 ¥562

10.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$80.9 ¥546

50.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$239 ¥1,613

574.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$254 ¥1,713

394.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$421 ¥2,843

628.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$301 ¥2,035

575.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$2,980 ¥20.1K

160.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,994 ¥13.5K

114.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$814 ¥5,493

96.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.56

7.02%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Quanzhou: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $239 in Quanzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 97% 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 $23.00 in Quanzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $179 per month, with Quanzhou 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 Quanzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Quanzhou differ by about 195% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $774 including rent). Quanzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 97% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $239 in Quanzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $116 in Quanzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $774 in Quanzhou versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Quanzhou but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Quanzhou 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 Quanzhou 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 Quanzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 195% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.