Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Shenyang Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Shenyang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $668 in Shenyang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,081 in Shenyang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,494 in Shenyang.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 239% more expensive than Shenyang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Shenyang is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$2.71 ¥18.32

488.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$20.70 ¥140

206.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$4.93 ¥33.36

110.55%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.56 ¥17.31

8.98%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$0.48 ¥3.26

387.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.34 ¥2.31

361.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$0.81 ¥5.50

323.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$2.08 ¥14.06

87.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.96 ¥13.23

-44.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.96 ¥13.25

-9.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$0.99 ¥6.66

72.73%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$1.11 ¥7.49

183.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$9.98 ¥67.5

37.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$2.78 ¥18.77

188.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$12.03 ¥81.4

29.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.39 ¥9.43

64.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.02 ¥6.89

60.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$0.86 ¥5.84

125.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.28 ¥8.65

96.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.47 ¥3.21

280.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.66 ¥4.47

204.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.40 ¥2.70

392.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.63 ¥4.24

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$3.07 ¥20.74

121.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$16.86 ¥114

-66.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.72 ¥4.90

93.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$0.90 ¥6.07

235.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.34 ¥2.30

567.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$12.00 ¥81.1

278.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.28 ¥8.69

235.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.28 ¥1.91

203.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$3.58 ¥24.20

410.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.19 ¥8.05

67.23%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$18.3K ¥123.4K

91.95%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$19.0K ¥128.6K

107.94%

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

$146 €126

$66.4 ¥449

120.32%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$14.83 ¥100

37.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$14.01 ¥94.7

178.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$21.11 ¥143

132.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$6.30 ¥42.58

198.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$5.00 ¥33.79

90.40%

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

$608 €524

$461 ¥3,116

31.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$24.9K ¥168.2K

-33.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$48.45 ¥328

114.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$31.22 ¥211

34.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$75.6 ¥511

22.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$79.6 ¥538

50.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$231 ¥1,564

601.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$143 ¥970

783.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$518 ¥3,504

488.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$341 ¥2,305

489.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$2,294 ¥15.5K

234.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$1,315 ¥8,893

229.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$1,100 ¥7,441

44.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.27

-27.70%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Shenyang: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $231 in Shenyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 44% 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 $21.00 in Shenyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $201 per month, with Shenyang 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 Shenyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Shenyang differ by about 239% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $668 including rent). Shenyang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 44% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $231 in Shenyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $461 in Shenyang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $668 in Shenyang versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shenyang but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Shenyang 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 Shenyang 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 Shenyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 239% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.