Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Shenzhen Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Shenzhen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,032 in Shenzhen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,649 in Shenzhen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,266 in Shenzhen.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 122% more expensive than in Shenzhen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Shenzhen is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$3.13 ¥21.17

417.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$27.60 ¥187

129.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$4.87 ¥32.97

111.91%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.32 ¥22.46

-14.76%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.48 ¥3.27

377.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.28 ¥1.89

464.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.21 ¥8.22

180.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.77 ¥18.76

45.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.75 ¥11.83

-37.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.97 ¥13.33

-11.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.18 ¥7.97

49.15%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.92 ¥12.96

65.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$12.69 ¥85.9

3.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$3.93 ¥26.61

102.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$13.38 ¥90.6

16.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.87 ¥12.63

26.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.46 ¥9.90

17.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.82 ¥12.29

10.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.39 ¥9.44

74.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.09 ¥7.40

61.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.42 ¥9.61

42.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.75 ¥5.05

156.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.57 ¥3.85

49.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.39 ¥22.94

94.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$12.61 ¥85.4

-55.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.93 ¥6.27

43.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.90 ¥12.87

56.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.44 ¥2.98

418.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$22.23 ¥150

105.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.69 ¥11.40

150.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.37 ¥2.54

118.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$6.75 ¥45.65

173.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.14 ¥7.72

82.46%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$22.7K ¥153.7K

52.69%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$20.7K ¥140.0K

89.35%

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

$148 €130

$65.3 ¥442

126.58%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$8.39 ¥56.8

143.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$13.08 ¥88.5

202.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$50.9 ¥345

-5.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$17.60 ¥119

5.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$7.08 ¥47.89

30.23%

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

$616 €539

$467 ¥3,159

32.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$20.7K ¥140.0K

-20.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$48.53 ¥328

111.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$30.27 ¥205

37.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$74.7 ¥506

26.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$79.3 ¥537

53.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$732 ¥4,953

123.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$410 ¥2,777

200.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,699 ¥11.5K

82.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$910 ¥6,157

123.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$12.9K ¥87.4K

-39.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$6,000 ¥40.6K

-26.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,720 ¥11.6K

-6.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.04

-5.69%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $732 in Shenzhen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 7% 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 $28.00 in Shenzhen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $229 per month, with Shenzhen 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 Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Shenzhen differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,032 including rent). Shenzhen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Shenzhen. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $732 in Shenzhen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $467 in Shenzhen. 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 $1,032 in Shenzhen versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shenzhen but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Shenzhen 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 Shenzhen 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 Shenzhen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.