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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $768 in Sanya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,247 in Sanya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,726 in Sanya.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 199% more expensive than in Sanya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Sanya is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$3.28 ¥21.94

436.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$22.18 ¥149

183.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$6.22 ¥41.64

86.17%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.19 ¥14.68

41.55%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.50 ¥3.38

398.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.43 ¥2.86

304.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.35 ¥9.01

157.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$1.75 ¥11.74

96.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$2.12 ¥14.23

-45.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.31 ¥8.80

45.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.58 ¥10.58

-5.06%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$1.65 ¥11.04

141.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$22.72 ¥152

-41.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$4.65 ¥31.13

72.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$11.67 ¥78.1

54.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.25 ¥15.10

4.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.52 ¥10.17

15.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.43 ¥16.24

-23.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.92 ¥12.84

32.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.85 ¥5.70

116.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.71 ¥4.72

195.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.54 ¥3.63

175.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.61 ¥4.09

34.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$3.80 ¥25.42

86.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$7.44 ¥49.81

-20.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$0.86 ¥5.78

52.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.62 ¥10.84

31.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.29 ¥1.97

713.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$17.61 ¥118

164.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.53 ¥10.23

166.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.35 ¥2.38

225.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$6.51 ¥43.60

162.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.28 ¥8.55

80.47%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$19.9K ¥133.0K

71.81%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$19.5K ¥130.8K

111.83%

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

$169 €147

$56.2 ¥376

199.91%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$6.54 ¥43.81

195.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$4.40 ¥29.50

661.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$41.60 ¥279

17.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$14.71 ¥98.5

32.09%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$6.41 ¥42.94

49.30%

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

$696 €607

$421 ¥2,820

65.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$16.4K ¥110.1K

5.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$43.37 ¥291

142.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$33.71 ¥226

41.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$73.7 ¥493

36.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$79.3 ¥531

56.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$295 ¥1,979

462.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$182 ¥1,217

586.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$593 ¥3,975

399.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$377 ¥2,523

443.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$3,228 ¥21.6K

142.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$1,971 ¥13.2K

126.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$880 ¥5,893

85.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.38

11.83%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Sanya: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $295 in Sanya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 85% 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 $22.00 in Sanya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $249 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 199% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $768 including rent). Sanya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 85% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $295 in Sanya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $421 in Sanya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $768 in Sanya versus $2,296 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 199% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.