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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,212 in Shanghai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,973 in Shanghai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,733 in Shanghai.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 88% more expensive than in Shanghai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Shanghai is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$5.00 ¥33.78

215.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$35.98 ¥243

76.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$5.54 ¥37.39

88.63%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$3.53 ¥23.85

-17.56%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.57 ¥3.87

301.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.33 ¥2.26

354.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$1.40 ¥9.46

154.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$2.76 ¥18.65

43.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$2.19 ¥14.78

-50.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.79 ¥12.12

-1.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.10 ¥7.46

54.55%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$1.67 ¥11.26

94.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$15.24 ¥103

-13.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$3.09 ¥20.85

149.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$11.10 ¥75.0

42.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.35 ¥15.87

-2.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.75 ¥11.84

-5.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.78 ¥12.00

13.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$1.46 ¥9.90

69.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$0.80 ¥5.42

123.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.11 ¥7.47

86.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.64 ¥4.31

207.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.60 ¥4.03

38.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$2.85 ¥19.22

129.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$11.72 ¥79.1

-52.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$0.80 ¥5.41

66.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$1.62 ¥10.93

85.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.41 ¥2.74

453.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$34.37 ¥232

34.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$2.19 ¥14.77

93.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.38 ¥2.56

123.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$8.11 ¥54.8

132.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.09 ¥7.34

85.32%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$19.8K ¥133.8K

76.43%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$17.8K ¥120.0K

123.08%

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

$148 €129

$52.5 ¥354

182.04%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$8.46 ¥57.2

142.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$13.57 ¥91.6

191.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$46.06 ¥311

4.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$19.95 ¥135

-7.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$8.25 ¥55.7

10.30%

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

$615 €536

$1,280 ¥8,648

-51.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$31.1K ¥210.3K

-47.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$59.3 ¥400

71.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$37.99 ¥257

10.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$77.2 ¥521

19.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$96.9 ¥655

25.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$946 ¥6,390

70.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$555 ¥3,746

126.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$2,457 ¥16.6K

24.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$1,201 ¥8,109

69.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$14.1K ¥95.3K

-45.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$6,646 ¥44.9K

-35.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$1,741 ¥11.8K

-8.00%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $946 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $36.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $227 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 88% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,212 including rent). Shanghai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Shanghai. 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $946 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $1,280 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,212 in Shanghai versus $2,280 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 88% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.