Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $652 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,051 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,450 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 242% more expensive than Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.81

$2.84 ¥19.48

469.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.1

$22.70 ¥155

184.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.86

$4.81 ¥32.98

115.80%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.89 ¥19.81

-4.15%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.42 ¥2.87

435.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.34

$0.24 ¥1.63

554.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.98

$0.80 ¥5.49

336.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.42

$1.41 ¥9.67

183.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$2.30 ¥15.72

-53.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.14 ¥7.78

52.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.48

$0.83 ¥5.66

109.64%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.71

$1.47 ¥10.09

116.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.47

$9.06 ¥62.1

48.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.83

$2.72 ¥18.66

193.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.74

$5.54 ¥37.92

190.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.15 ¥14.75

6.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.43 ¥9.82

20.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.64 ¥11.26

18.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.17

$1.16 ¥7.96

118.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.56

$0.92 ¥6.32

98.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.74

$0.87 ¥5.99

134.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.82 ¥5.61

141.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.61 ¥4.16

39.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.85

$3.27 ¥22.41

109.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.93

$7.90 ¥54.1

-26.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.88 ¥6.01

55.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.40 ¥9.60

107.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.29 ¥2.01

686.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.00

$16.46 ¥113

184.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.48

$1.56 ¥10.70

161.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.38 ¥2.64

115.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.60

$8.49 ¥58.2

115.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.71

$1.14 ¥7.80

76.32%

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

$35.3K €30.1K

$16.7K ¥114.7K

110.62%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$14.3K ¥98.1K

168.62%

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

$145 €124

$17.64 ¥121

724.26%

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

$20.96 €17.90

$11.08 ¥75.9

89.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.21

$10.94 ¥74.9

266.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.66

$56.1 ¥385

-13.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €15.97

$14.05 ¥96.2

33.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.74

$5.41 ¥37.06

67.47%

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

$607 €518

$275 ¥1,881

120.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €13.9K

$16.5K ¥113.1K

-1.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.4

$41.05 ¥281

154.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €34.97

$33.43 ¥229

22.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €79.9

$56.8 ¥389

64.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$56.7 ¥388

109.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,370

$281 ¥1,923

471.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,055

$191 ¥1,309

546.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,601

$592 ¥4,058

414.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,756

$356 ¥2,439

477.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,583

$2,884 ¥19.8K

167.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,644

$1,980 ¥13.6K

115.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,353

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.87

-1.55%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $281 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $23.00 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $171 per month, with Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu differ by about 242% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $652 including rent). Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,341 in Lisbon and $978 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $281 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $275 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $652 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 242% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.