Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tainan Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tainan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,196 in Tainan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,072 in Tainan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,948 in Tainan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 92% more expensive than in Tainan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Tainan is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$4.84 NT$154

263.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$25.47 NT$811

146.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$4.70 NT$149

146.38%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.23 NT$103

-4.02%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.43 NT$45.46

74.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.92 NT$29.20

89.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$3.06 NT$97.5

13.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.45 NT$110

-0.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$3.19 NT$101

-63.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.80 NT$57.3

6.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.89 NT$91.8

-48.10%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.15 NT$100

26.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$22.97 NT$731

-42.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$13.16 NT$419

-39.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$21.04 NT$670

-14.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$5.59 NT$178

-57.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.83 NT$90.2

-38.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$4.92 NT$157

-62.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$7.40 NT$236

-65.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$4.66 NT$148

-60.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$4.58 NT$146

-54.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$3.02 NT$96.1

-50.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.44 NT$45.85

-43.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$3.88 NT$123

82.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$12.06 NT$384

-51.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$2.03 NT$64.8

-35.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.24 NT$71.4

-4.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.61 NT$19.46

286.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$33.67 NT$1,072

38.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$2.65 NT$84.2

53.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.99 NT$31.43

15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$5.74 NT$183

197.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.07 NT$34.11

115.89%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$35.9K NT$1.1M

-4.87%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$24.8K NT$790.1K

66.69%

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

$169 €147

$89.0 NT$2,833

89.36%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$17.02 NT$542

13.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$21.62 NT$688

55.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$46.57 NT$1,482

4.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$11.08 NT$353

-13.63%

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

$696 €607

$431 NT$13.7K

61.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$5,448 NT$173.4K

218.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$93.5 NT$2,975

12.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$45.90 NT$1,461

4.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$118 NT$3,759

-14.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$123 NT$3,923

0.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$313 NT$9,975

430.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$200 NT$6,378

521.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$840 NT$26.7K

253.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$721 NT$22.9K

184.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$4,192 NT$133.5K

86.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$3,052 NT$97.2K

46.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,357 NT$43.2K

20.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

2.5

51.20%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Tainan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $313 in Tainan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 20% 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 $25.00 in Tainan. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $465, 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 Tainan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tainan differ by about 92% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,196 including rent). Tainan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $313 in Tainan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $431 in Tainan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 68% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,196 in Tainan versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tainan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tainan 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 Tainan 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 Tainan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.