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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,180 in Taichung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,966 in Taichung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,752 in Taichung.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 94% more expensive than in Taichung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Taichung is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$4.99 NT$161

224.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$30.18 NT$974

109.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$5.31 NT$172

94.35%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.91 NT$94.0

-2.75%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.15 NT$37.21

99.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.84 NT$26.97

88.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.08 NT$67.2

63.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.86 NT$92.4

40.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$3.91 NT$126

-72.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.76 NT$56.8

-0.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.78 NT$89.6

-36.69%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.14 NT$101

0.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$31.84 NT$1,028

-58.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$8.23 NT$266

-3.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$15.91 NT$514

-2.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$4.68 NT$151

-49.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.73 NT$55.9

-1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.23 NT$71.9

-9.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$3.07 NT$99.0

-20.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.29 NT$41.68

36.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.90 NT$61.4

6.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.36 NT$76.3

-18.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.24 NT$40.12

-31.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.99 NT$129

64.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$15.50 NT$500

-64.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.65 NT$53.4

-19.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.67 NT$86.1

11.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.87 NT$28.21

162.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$28.55 NT$922

60.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.94 NT$94.9

43.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.19 NT$38.28

-31.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$10.22 NT$330

80.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.06 NT$34.15

96.23%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$33.7K NT$1.1M

3.00%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$26.4K NT$852.3K

48.29%

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

$148 €130

$95.7 NT$3,088

54.75%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$24.69 NT$797

-17.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$21.22 NT$685

86.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$35.41 NT$1,143

35.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$10.35 NT$334

79.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$10.85 NT$350

-15.02%

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

$616 €540

$357 NT$11.5K

72.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$20.8K NT$670.4K

-20.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$85.9 NT$2,774

19.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$34.53 NT$1,115

20.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$95.3 NT$3,076

-0.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$131 NT$4,222

-6.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$377 NT$12.2K

332.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$281 NT$9,077

338.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,044 NT$33.7K

196.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$727 NT$23.4K

179.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$7,208 NT$232.6K

8.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$5,156 NT$166.4K

-14.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,392 NT$44.9K

15.46%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Taichung: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $377 in Taichung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 15% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $30.00 in Taichung. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $400, 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 94% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,180 including rent). Taichung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $377 in Taichung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $357 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 $1,180 in Taichung versus $2,291 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 94% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.