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: $2,322 in Lisbon versus $709 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,409 in Lisbon versus $1,166 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,496 in Lisbon versus $1,624 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 228% more expensive than in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.63

$3.60 ¥24.18

375.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 €54.8

$26.39 ¥177

142.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 €10.02

$5.12 ¥34.36

128.71%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.69

$3.06 ¥20.54

2.61%

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

$2.51 €2.14

$0.48 ¥3.24

422.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$0.33 ¥2.25

403.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 €3.01

$0.86 ¥5.77

308.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.88

$1.46 ¥9.78

130.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$1.96 ¥13.18

-40.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.73

$1.17 ¥7.83

72.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$0.87 ¥5.84

81.61%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.46

$1.93 ¥12.99

109.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 €10.96

$19.11 ¥128

-32.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 €6.86

$4.12 ¥27.67

94.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 €14.57

$5.87 ¥39.43

190.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$2.26 ¥15.17

5.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.38 ¥9.30

32.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.65 ¥11.07

20.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.28

$1.38 ¥9.26

93.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$0.86 ¥5.79

120.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.93 ¥6.25

111.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.67 ¥4.49

113.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.58 ¥3.93

56.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.84

$3.67 ¥24.62

85.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €4.90

$13.33 ¥89.6

-57.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$0.75 ¥5.03

77.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.50 ¥10.09

42.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.05

$0.31 ¥2.09

674.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.94 €39.30

$19.52 ¥131

135.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 €3.63

$1.99 ¥13.35

113.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.95

$0.38 ¥2.58

192.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 €15.39

$6.95 ¥46.68

158.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.88

$1.20 ¥8.07

83.33%

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

$35.2K €30.1K

$17.6K ¥118.5K

99.53%

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

$40.0K €34.2K

$17.6K ¥118.4K

127.10%

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

$171 €146

$19.04 ¥128

798.63%

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

$19.61 €16.78

$10.04 ¥67.5

95.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.19 €28.39

$11.31 ¥75.9

193.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 €41.02

$59.7 ¥401

-19.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.88 €17.01

$16.06 ¥108

23.79%

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 €8.66

$7.62 ¥51.2

32.81%

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

$700 €599

$294 ¥1,976

137.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €14.8K

$17.5K ¥117.5K

-0.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €93.4

$43.73 ¥294

149.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.84 €40.92

$43.90 ¥295

8.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$60.2 ¥404

76.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$58.9 ¥395

114.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,461

$320 ¥2,152

432.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 €1,082

$177 ¥1,190

613.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,973 €2,543

$601 ¥4,037

394.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 €1,711

$368 ¥2,469

444.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,013 €6,855

$2,917 ¥19.6K

174.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,525 €3,871

$1,943 ¥13.0K

132.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,663 €1,422

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

3.48

7.18%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 15, 2026

Last update for Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,708 in Lisbon and $320 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $26.00 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $219 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 228% in total monthly costs ($2,322 vs $709 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 $3,483 in Lisbon and $1,063 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: $1,708 in Lisbon versus $320 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $700 in Lisbon versus $294 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 27% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $709 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $2,322 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 228% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.