Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Taichung Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Taichung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,175 in Taichung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,977 in Taichung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,779 in Taichung.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 88% more expensive than Taichung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Taichung is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$5.17 NT$163

207.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$30.14 NT$949

114.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$5.48 NT$172

91.79%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.03 NT$95.5

-5.28%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.16 NT$36.61

93.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.86 NT$27.02

74.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.19 NT$68.9

59.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.93 NT$92.4

32.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$3.86 NT$122

-70.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.74 NT$54.9

0.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.82 NT$88.7

-37.59%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.27 NT$103

-1.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$31.67 NT$997

-57.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$8.26 NT$260

-4.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$16.07 NT$506

-1.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$4.64 NT$146

-50.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.76 NT$55.5

-3.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.26 NT$71.0

-11.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.97 NT$93.6

-17.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.27 NT$40.12

44.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.97 NT$62.1

1.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.36 NT$74.3

-18.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.30 NT$40.95

-39.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.96 NT$125

66.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$16.23 NT$511

-64.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.71 NT$53.8

-19.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.66 NT$83.7

11.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.94 NT$29.57

152.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$28.86 NT$908

57.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.92 NT$92.1

46.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.24 NT$38.97

-33.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$10.25 NT$323

78.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.05 NT$33.02

96.19%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$34.5K NT$1.1M

-0.76%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$26.0K NT$816.9K

51.40%

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

$148 €127

$96.6 NT$3,042

53.01%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$24.51 NT$771

-16.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$22.07 NT$695

79.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$36.44 NT$1,147

31.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$10.09 NT$318

87.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$10.52 NT$331

-12.74%

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

$614 €528

$355 NT$11.2K

72.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$20.9K NT$656.8K

-23.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$84.1 NT$2,646

24.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$34.06 NT$1,072

23.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$96.9 NT$3,049

-3.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$130 NT$4,092

-7.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$379 NT$11.9K

329.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$292 NT$9,184

330.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,056 NT$33.2K

186.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$731 NT$23.0K

176.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$7,297 NT$229.7K

6.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$5,260 NT$165.6K

-18.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,420 NT$44.7K

12.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

2.18

74.77%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Taichung: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $379 in Taichung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 13% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $30.00 in Taichung. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $402, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Taichung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Taichung differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,175 including rent). Taichung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 13% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $379 in Taichung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $355 in Taichung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 49% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,175 in Taichung versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taichung but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Taichung 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 Taichung 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 Taichung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.