Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sanya Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sanya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,258 in Lisbon versus $741 in Sanya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,328 in Lisbon versus $1,168 in Sanya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,397 in Lisbon versus $1,594 in Sanya.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 205% more expensive than Sanya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Sanya is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.82 €13.46

$2.41 ¥16.46

556.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 €54.8

$21.22 ¥145

203.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €8.82

$5.51 ¥37.66

88.20%

Cappuccino

$2.89 €2.46

$2.52 ¥17.24

14.68%

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

$2.23 €1.90

$0.41 ¥2.79

443.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.32

$0.27 ¥1.82

474.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.88

$1.95 ¥13.34

73.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.32

$1.97 ¥13.46

97.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.83 ¥12.47

-38.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.53

$1.38 ¥9.42

30.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.50 ¥10.21

16.67%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.70

$1.66 ¥11.34

90.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 €11.49

$16.94 ¥116

-20.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 €6.63

$3.80 ¥25.98

105.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 €13.32

$10.37 ¥70.8

50.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$2.10 ¥14.35

8.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.51 ¥10.29

13.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.65

$1.96 ¥13.39

-1.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.15

$1.59 ¥10.87

58.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.52

$0.73 ¥4.97

145.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$0.74 ¥5.08

177.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.65

$0.48 ¥3.27

304.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.58 ¥3.94

39.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.66

$3.14 ¥21.48

111.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 €4.92

$7.13 ¥48.67

-18.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.06 ¥7.25

25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.47

$0.94 ¥6.39

209.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.00

$0.29 ¥1.99

710.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.70 €38.89

$16.04 ¥110

184.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.20 €3.58

$1.55 ¥10.60

170.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.54 ¥3.66

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 €15.91

$6.57 ¥44.86

184.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.23 ¥8.38

69.92%

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

$34.6K €29.5K

$19.7K ¥134.5K

75.71%

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

$39.7K €33.7K

$16.4K ¥112.2K

141.42%

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

$146 €124

$83.8 ¥572

74.09%

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

$20.84 €17.73

$9.94 ¥67.9

109.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.78 €33.85

$11.54 ¥78.9

244.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 €41.35

$41.29 ¥282

17.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 €16.04

$13.73 ¥93.8

37.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 €7.72

$6.14 ¥41.92

47.72%

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

$618 €526

$337 ¥2,300

83.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$16.7K ¥113.7K

-2.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.0

$42.74 ¥292

144.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €34.50

$30.18 ¥206

34.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 €79.8

$47.93 ¥327

95.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €104

$73.9 ¥505

65.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,365

$274 ¥1,868

486.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 €1,073

$189 ¥1,290

567.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 €2,608

$599 ¥4,088

412.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$364 ¥2,485

452.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,702 €6,555

$3,232 ¥22.1K

138.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,367 €3,716

$2,004 ¥13.7K

117.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,638 €1,394

$697 ¥4,758

135.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.05

-24.55%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Last update for Sanya: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $274 in Sanya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 135% 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: $64 in Lisbon vs $21 in Sanya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $215 per month, with Sanya 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 Sanya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sanya differ by about 205% in total monthly costs ($2,258 vs $741 including rent). Sanya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 135% 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 $274 in Sanya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $618 in Lisbon versus $337 in Sanya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $741 in Sanya versus $2,258 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sanya but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sanya 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 Sanya 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 Sanya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 205% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.