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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $783 in Quanzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,132 in Quanzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,481 in Quanzhou.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 184% more expensive than Quanzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Quanzhou is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$2.12 ¥14.49

662.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$23.35 ¥160

176.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$5.64 ¥38.62

84.04%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.73 ¥18.69

1.47%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.48 ¥3.29

368.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.27 ¥1.83

481.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$1.40 ¥9.59

149.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.97 ¥20.35

34.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.42 ¥9.72

-23.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.71 ¥4.88

145.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.75 ¥5.17

132.00%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$1.18 ¥8.07

169.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$10.96 ¥75.1

22.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$2.39 ¥16.37

234.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$11.29 ¥77.4

42.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.46 ¥16.84

-7.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.08 ¥7.40

59.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.52 ¥10.40

27.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.85 ¥12.65

37.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.91 ¥6.23

101.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.64 ¥11.21

24.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.82 ¥5.65

141.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.52 ¥3.53

63.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$2.75 ¥18.86

149.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$7.45 ¥51.0

-22.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.80 ¥5.48

71.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.58 ¥10.81

83.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.27 ¥1.84

744.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$33.15 ¥227

41.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$1.14 ¥7.80

257.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.26 ¥1.77

215.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$6.86 ¥47.02

166.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.13 ¥7.72

77.88%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$15.3K ¥104.5K

131.11%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$13.7K ¥93.6K

181.54%

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

$145 €124

$39.48 ¥270

268.29%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$4.06 ¥27.79

416.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$9.93 ¥68.0

303.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$55.3 ¥379

-11.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$28.31 ¥194

-33.98%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$5.63 ¥38.56

60.92%

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

$607 €519

$114 ¥784

429.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$21.1K ¥144.5K

-22.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$28.13 ¥193

272.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$26.55 ¥182

54.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$86.6 ¥593

8.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$80.9 ¥554

46.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$241 ¥1,648

566.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$251 ¥1,719

392.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$423 ¥2,900

619.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$296 ¥2,026

595.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$2,880 ¥19.7K

167.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,972 ¥13.5K

116.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$750 ¥5,141

111.08%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Quanzhou: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $241 in Quanzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 111% 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 $23.00 in Quanzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 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 184% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $783 including rent). Quanzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 111% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $241 in Quanzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $114 in Quanzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $783 in Quanzhou versus $2,227 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 184% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.