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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,140 in Shenzhen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,759 in Shenzhen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,378 in Shenzhen.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 99% more expensive than in Shenzhen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Shenzhen is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$4.05 ¥27.11

333.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$29.95 ¥201

115.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$5.12 ¥34.27

127.54%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.40 ¥22.78

-4.12%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.54 ¥3.61

361.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.35 ¥2.35

377.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.51 ¥10.11

129.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.19 ¥14.69

63.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.57 ¥10.54

-24.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.85 ¥12.39

5.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.21 ¥8.12

28.93%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.69 ¥11.34

137.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$22.16 ¥148

-40.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$3.69 ¥24.69

128.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$14.25 ¥95.4

27.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.31 ¥15.49

0.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.60 ¥10.71

8.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.82 ¥12.19

6.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.41 ¥9.43

87.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.17 ¥7.86

62.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.54 ¥10.31

37.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.58 ¥3.91

148.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.54 ¥3.62

48.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.39 ¥29.43

59.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$12.65 ¥84.7

-53.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$0.93 ¥6.21

46.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.82 ¥12.16

18.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.62 ¥4.18

283.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$22.17 ¥148

108.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.47 ¥9.85

185.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.38 ¥2.51

189.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$7.42 ¥49.69

132.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.27 ¥8.50

77.17%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$19.7K ¥131.8K

75.18%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$18.2K ¥122.1K

128.33%

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

$171 €147

$61.2 ¥410

179.44%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$10.07 ¥67.5

88.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$14.90 ¥99.8

130.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$49.64 ¥332

0.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$17.20 ¥115

13.43%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$7.67 ¥51.4

31.68%

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

$699 €603

$524 ¥3,507

33.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$23.6K ¥158.2K

-24.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$49.44 ¥331

111.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$39.23 ¥263

22.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$68.6 ¥459

48.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$89.2 ¥597

43.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$764 ¥5,114

117.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$473 ¥3,168

159.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,851 ¥12.4K

57.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$863 ¥5,777

134.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$13.6K ¥90.8K

-40.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$6,418 ¥43.0K

-27.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,688 ¥11.3K

-4.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.37

12.17%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $764 in Shenzhen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $30.00 in Shenzhen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $258 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 99% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,140 including rent). Shenzhen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $764 in Shenzhen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $524 in Shenzhen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,140 in Shenzhen versus $2,268 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 99% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.