Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Suzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Suzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $863 in Suzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,459 in Suzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,055 in Suzhou.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 163% more expensive than in Suzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Suzhou is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.13

$4.22 ¥28.24

315.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$29.50 ¥198

118.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$5.36 ¥35.92

117.35%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.41 ¥22.86

-4.40%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.69 ¥4.62

260.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.39 ¥2.59

328.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.22 ¥14.88

56.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.42 ¥29.58

-19.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.96 ¥13.16

-39.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.96 ¥13.11

-0.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.24 ¥8.29

25.81%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.83 ¥12.26

119.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.45

$17.65 ¥118

-24.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$3.41 ¥22.86

146.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$8.41 ¥56.3

116.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.04 ¥13.64

13.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.21 ¥8.14

42.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.34 ¥8.97

44.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.28

$1.42 ¥9.51

85.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.64 ¥4.30

196.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.12 ¥7.49

88.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.83 ¥5.55

73.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.58 ¥3.90

37.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.50 ¥30.16

55.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$9.13 ¥61.1

-35.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.06 ¥7.10

28.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.05 ¥13.74

4.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.35 ¥2.36

580.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.86

$43.83 ¥294

5.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.76 ¥11.80

138.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.36 ¥2.41

205.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$10.01 ¥67.1

72.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.26 ¥8.42

78.57%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$19.3K ¥129.1K

78.80%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$18.0K ¥120.2K

131.82%

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

$171 €147

$100 ¥672

70.22%

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

$19.01 €16.39

$13.11 ¥87.8

45.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.56

$10.94 ¥73.3

213.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.81

$33.27 ¥223

49.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.82

$18.59 ¥125

4.95%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$5.83 ¥39.02

73.24%

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

$699 €603

$1,214 ¥8,130

-42.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$21.3K ¥142.3K

-16.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$52.1 ¥349

100.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.36

$40.37 ¥270

18.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$82.1 ¥550

24.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$87.6 ¥587

46.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,433

$457 ¥3,064

263.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$191 ¥1,281

542.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,514

$1,052 ¥7,046

177.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,745

$594 ¥3,981

240.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,010

$5,337 ¥35.7K

52.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,997

$2,809 ¥18.8K

65.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,342 ¥8,987

20.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.53

7.08%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Suzhou: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $457 in Suzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 21% 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 $29.00 in Suzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $219 per month, with Suzhou 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 Suzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Suzhou differ by about 163% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $863 including rent). Suzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 21% 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 $457 in Suzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $1,214 in Suzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $863 in Suzhou versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Suzhou but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Suzhou 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 Suzhou 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 Suzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.