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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $727 in Shenyang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,082 in Shenyang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,436 in Shenyang.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 212% more expensive than in Shenyang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Shenyang is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$2.91 ¥19.50

503.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$22.37 ¥150

188.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$5.26 ¥35.23

121.48%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.36 ¥15.81

38.14%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.49 ¥3.31

408.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.38 ¥2.55

339.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$0.85 ¥5.67

308.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$1.90 ¥12.72

88.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.90 ¥12.72

-37.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.38 ¥15.92

-18.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.07 ¥7.17

45.79%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.03 ¥6.88

289.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$11.80 ¥79.1

54.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.77 ¥11.85

31.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.16 ¥7.75

49.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.53 ¥10.27

72.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.62 ¥4.17

132.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.64 ¥4.32

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.74 ¥25.07

87.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$16.89 ¥113

-64.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$0.65 ¥4.37

109.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.15 ¥7.69

86.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.35 ¥2.38

580.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$12.44 ¥83.3

271.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.33 ¥8.90

215.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.29 ¥1.92

279.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$3.07 ¥20.56

462.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.26 ¥8.45

78.57%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$19.1K ¥128.2K

80.00%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$18.2K ¥122.0K

128.50%

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

$171 €147

$74.5 ¥499

129.46%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$15.51 ¥104

22.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$15.19 ¥102

125.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$22.64 ¥152

119.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$10.63 ¥71.2

83.54%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$6.00 ¥40.20

68.33%

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

$699 €603

$540 ¥3,616

29.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$21.2K ¥141.9K

-16.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$40.91 ¥274

155.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$60.5 ¥405

68.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$69.2 ¥463

85.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$275 ¥1,842

504.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$244 ¥1,633

403.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$556 ¥3,725

424.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$407 ¥2,727

396.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$2,309 ¥15.5K

252.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,305 ¥8,738

255.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,086 ¥7,271

49.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.37

-13.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Shenyang: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $275 in Shenyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 49% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $22.00 in Shenyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $160 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 212% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $727 including rent). Shenyang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 49% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $275 in Shenyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $540 in Shenyang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $727 in Shenyang versus $2,268 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 212% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.