Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Shanghai Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Shanghai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,220 in Shanghai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,946 in Shanghai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,672 in Shanghai.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 82% more expensive than Shanghai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Shanghai is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.81

$4.73 ¥32.39

241.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.1

$36.90 ¥253

74.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.86

$5.41 ¥37.03

91.87%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$3.42 ¥23.41

-19.01%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.55 ¥3.76

309.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.34

$0.34 ¥2.32

361.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.98

$1.41 ¥9.63

147.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.42

$2.87 ¥19.67

39.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$2.08 ¥14.23

-48.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.80 ¥12.30

-3.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.48

$1.05 ¥7.18

65.71%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.71

$1.63 ¥11.14

95.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.47

$15.36 ¥105

-12.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.83

$3.08 ¥21.10

159.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.74

$10.97 ¥75.1

46.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.37 ¥16.24

-3.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.77 ¥12.13

-2.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.73 ¥11.88

12.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.17

$1.47 ¥10.05

72.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.56

$0.78 ¥5.37

134.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.74

$1.13 ¥7.71

80.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.68 ¥4.63

191.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.60 ¥4.10

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.85

$2.82 ¥19.28

142.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.93

$11.86 ¥81.2

-51.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.80 ¥5.45

71.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.60 ¥10.98

81.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.44 ¥3.00

418.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.00

$35.13 ¥241

33.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.48

$2.20 ¥15.09

85.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.41 ¥2.80

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.60

$8.25 ¥56.5

121.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.71

$1.10 ¥7.56

82.73%

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

$35.3K €30.1K

$19.8K ¥135.7K

78.01%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$18.1K ¥124.2K

112.28%

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

$145 €124

$51.3 ¥351

183.54%

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

$20.96 €17.90

$8.47 ¥58.0

147.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.21

$13.92 ¥95.4

187.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.66

$46.61 ¥319

4.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €15.97

$20.15 ¥138

-7.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.74

$8.26 ¥56.6

9.69%

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

$607 €518

$1,309 ¥8,969

-53.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €13.9K

$32.0K ¥219.3K

-48.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.4

$58.2 ¥399

79.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €34.97

$38.09 ¥261

7.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €79.9

$78.9 ¥540

18.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$96.4 ¥660

23.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,370

$963 ¥6,595

66.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,055

$563 ¥3,859

119.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,601

$2,490 ¥17.1K

22.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,756

$1,197 ¥8,198

71.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,583

$13.8K ¥94.9K

-44.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,644

$7,279 ¥49.9K

-41.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,353

$1,671 ¥11.4K

-5.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.58

6.42%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $963 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $37.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $226 per month, with Shanghai 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 Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Shanghai differ by about 82% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,220 including rent). Shanghai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Shanghai earns 5% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $963 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $1,309 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,220 in Shanghai versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Shanghai 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 Shanghai 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 Shanghai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.