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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $764 in Sanya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,176 in Sanya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,589 in Sanya.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 189% more expensive than Sanya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Sanya is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.80

$2.42 ¥16.40

557.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$21.29 ¥144

204.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.12

$5.72 ¥38.67

83.74%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$2.48 ¥16.75

15.73%

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

$2.24 €1.95

$0.44 ¥2.95

409.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.29 ¥1.97

417.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$1.91 ¥12.92

82.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$1.98 ¥13.42

95.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.84 ¥12.43

-38.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.37 ¥9.24

27.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.44 ¥9.75

22.22%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$1.69 ¥11.46

90.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.70

$17.45 ¥118

-22.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.87

$4.01 ¥27.10

97.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$10.06 ¥68.1

57.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.13 ¥14.42

8.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.48 ¥10.01

14.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.92 ¥13.00

4.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$1.59 ¥10.76

54.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.79 ¥5.37

132.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$0.79 ¥5.32

153.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.47 ¥3.20

310.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.62 ¥4.22

27.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$3.16 ¥21.40

109.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.97

$7.33 ¥49.61

-21.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.07 ¥7.21

28.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$1.01 ¥6.80

194.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$0.27 ¥1.82

777.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.52

$15.89 ¥108

186.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$1.55 ¥10.51

176.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.57 ¥3.87

43.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.88

$6.83 ¥46.20

167.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.17 ¥7.93

76.07%

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

$34.3K €29.7K

$19.7K ¥133.3K

73.96%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$16.7K ¥112.9K

135.36%

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

$148 €128

$83.0 ¥561

78.22%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$9.75 ¥66.0

110.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.37

$11.71 ¥79.2

238.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.51

$41.99 ¥284

13.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

$13.70 ¥92.7

38.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.97

$6.43 ¥43.51

42.77%

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

$614 €533

$342 ¥2,316

79.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$16.7K ¥113.0K

-3.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$43.47 ¥294

140.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.49

$30.31 ¥205

38.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$47.99 ¥325

95.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$74.5 ¥504

60.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

$281 ¥1,904

478.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

$189 ¥1,277

565.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,629

$598 ¥4,047

406.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,753

$364 ¥2,460

455.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,766

$3,208 ¥21.7K

143.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,707

$1,748 ¥11.8K

144.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

$879 ¥5,947

82.40%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sanya: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $281 in Sanya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 82% 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 $21.00 in Sanya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $218 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 189% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $764 including rent). Sanya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 82% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $281 in Sanya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $342 in Sanya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $764 in Sanya versus $2,210 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 189% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.