Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Taipei Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Taipei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,384 in Taipei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,233 in Taipei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,082 in Taipei.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 66% more expensive than in Taipei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Taipei 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.32

$4.61 NT$147

281.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$46.83 NT$1,492

34.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.09

$5.54 NT$177

109.03%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.46 NT$110

-10.40%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.92 NT$29.46

170.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.62 NT$19.84

180.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.78 NT$88.6

25.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.82 NT$122

-9.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$3.11 NT$99.1

-63.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.97 NT$62.7

-3.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$3.17 NT$101

-52.68%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.81 NT$89.6

41.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.58

$19.49 NT$621

-31.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$10.00 NT$319

-19.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.72

$21.90 NT$698

-17.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$4.80 NT$153

-51.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$3.25 NT$103

-46.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.99 NT$95.1

-38.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$4.35 NT$139

-41.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$2.70 NT$86.0

-31.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.28 NT$72.7

-7.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.70 NT$54.3

-12.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.17 NT$37.24

-29.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$4.02 NT$128

76.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$14.29 NT$455

-58.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.66 NT$52.7

-21.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.22 NT$70.8

-4.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.61 NT$19.39

286.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.61

$38.17 NT$1,216

22.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$2.73 NT$87.1

49.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.80 NT$25.62

42.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.89

$9.18 NT$292

86.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.06 NT$33.61

117.92%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$34.0K NT$1.1M

0.44%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$24.4K NT$778.1K

69.37%

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

$169 €147

$83.2 NT$2,650

102.58%

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

$19.33 €16.84

$17.73 NT$565

9.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.20

$28.05 NT$893

19.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.55

$41.43 NT$1,319

17.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

$16.34 NT$520

18.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$9.51 NT$303

0.63%

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

$696 €606

$615 NT$19.6K

13.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$17.1K NT$544.4K

1.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$62.7 NT$1,996

68.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.60

$40.32 NT$1,284

18.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$84.7 NT$2,697

18.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$105 NT$3,339

18.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,448

$898 NT$28.6K

85.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$490 NT$15.6K

154.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,583

$1,550 NT$49.4K

91.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,785

$971 NT$30.9K

111.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,825

$12.2K NT$389.8K

-35.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,889

$7,708 NT$245.5K

-42.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,421

$1,714 NT$54.6K

-4.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

2.4

57.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Taipei: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $898 in Taipei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taipei pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $47.00 in Taipei. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $401, 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 Taipei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Taipei differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,384 including rent). Taipei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Taipei. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $898 in Taipei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $615 in Taipei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 45% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,384 in Taipei versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Taipei but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Taipei 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 Taipei 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 Taipei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.