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: $2,258 in Lisbon versus $1,491 in Taipei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,328 in Lisbon versus $2,348 in Taipei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,397 in Lisbon versus $3,204 in Taipei.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 51% more expensive than Taipei, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Taipei 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.82 €13.46

$6.74 NT$212

134.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 €54.8

$41.31 NT$1,301

55.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €8.82

$5.72 NT$180

81.29%

Cappuccino

$2.89 €2.46

$3.82 NT$120

-24.35%

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

$2.23 €1.90

$1.18 NT$37.19

88.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.32

$0.80 NT$25.06

93.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.88

$3.31 NT$104

2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.32

$3.47 NT$109

12.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.96

$3.10 NT$97.8

-63.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.53

$1.88 NT$59.3

-4.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.49

$3.16 NT$99.7

-44.62%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.70

$2.89 NT$90.9

9.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 €11.49

$20.27 NT$638

-33.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 €6.63

$9.70 NT$305

-19.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 €13.32

$20.33 NT$640

-23.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$5.30 NT$167

-56.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$3.01 NT$94.7

-43.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.65

$2.77 NT$87.3

-30.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.15

$4.23 NT$133

-40.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.52

$2.86 NT$90.2

-37.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$2.26 NT$71.0

-9.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.65

$1.99 NT$62.6

-2.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.38 NT$43.61

-41.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.66

$4.19 NT$132

58.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 €4.92

$15.30 NT$482

-62.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.76 NT$55.4

-24.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.47

$2.40 NT$75.5

21.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.00

$0.87 NT$27.39

170.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.70 €38.89

$40.64 NT$1,280

12.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.20 €3.58

$2.80 NT$88.0

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.75 NT$23.48

8.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 €15.91

$10.09 NT$318

85.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.04 NT$32.74

100.96%

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

$34.6K €29.5K

$38.0K NT$1.2M

-9.01%

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

$39.7K €33.7K

$27.3K NT$860.6K

45.10%

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

$146 €124

$86.7 NT$2,729

68.30%

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

$20.84 €17.73

$18.73 NT$590

11.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.78 €33.85

$24.83 NT$782

60.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 €41.35

$42.25 NT$1,331

14.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 €16.04

$13.84 NT$436

36.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 €7.72

$11.99 NT$377

-24.35%

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

$618 €526

$635 NT$20.0K

-2.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$18.6K NT$586.0K

-13.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.0

$58.8 NT$1,852

77.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €34.50

$32.79 NT$1,032

23.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 €79.8

$91.7 NT$2,886

2.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €104

$124 NT$3,897

-0.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,365

$791 NT$24.9K

102.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 €1,073

$551 NT$17.3K

128.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 €2,608

$1,664 NT$52.4K

84.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$1,109 NT$34.9K

81.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,702 €6,555

$14.6K NT$459.1K

-47.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,367 €3,716

$8,632 NT$271.8K

-49.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,638 €1,394

$1,677 NT$52.8K

-2.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

2.19

73.97%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Last update for Taipei: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $791 in Taipei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taipei pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64 in Lisbon vs $41 in Taipei. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $403, 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 51% in total monthly costs ($2,258 vs $1,491 including rent). Taipei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Taipei earns 2% less. 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $791 in Taipei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $618 in Lisbon versus $635 in Taipei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 50% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,491 in Taipei versus $2,258 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 51% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.