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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,494 in Taipei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,394 in Taipei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,295 in Taipei.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 48% more expensive than Taipei, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Taipei 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$6.64 NT$209

139.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$40.45 NT$1,274

60.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$5.79 NT$183

81.52%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.75 NT$118

-23.47%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.13 NT$35.45

98.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.72 NT$22.77

108.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$3.31 NT$104

5.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.30 NT$104

17.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$3.12 NT$98.3

-63.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.98 NT$62.4

-11.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$3.07 NT$96.6

-42.67%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.91 NT$91.8

10.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$19.73 NT$621

-31.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$9.90 NT$312

-20.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$20.36 NT$641

-22.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$5.15 NT$162

-55.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.92 NT$91.9

-41.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.89 NT$90.9

-30.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$4.26 NT$134

-42.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.79 NT$88.0

-34.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.19 NT$69.1

-8.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.97 NT$62.1

-2.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.39 NT$43.76

-43.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$4.00 NT$126

65.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$14.48 NT$456

-60.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.75 NT$55.2

-21.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.42 NT$76.2

22.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.89 NT$28.07

166.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$41.16 NT$1,297

10.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.91 NT$91.7

47.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.79 NT$24.96

3.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$10.05 NT$316

82.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.07 NT$33.66

92.52%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$38.1K NT$1.2M

-10.14%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$27.9K NT$878.3K

40.93%

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

$148 €127

$84.9 NT$2,674

74.17%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$18.69 NT$589

9.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$24.75 NT$780

60.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$42.03 NT$1,324

13.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$14.06 NT$443

34.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$11.84 NT$373

-22.47%

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

$614 €529

$626 NT$19.7K

-1.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$18.6K NT$587.0K

-13.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$58.9 NT$1,856

77.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$34.01 NT$1,072

23.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$95.1 NT$2,997

-1.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$124 NT$3,894

-3.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$789 NT$24.8K

106.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$541 NT$17.0K

132.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,667 NT$52.5K

81.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$1,113 NT$35.1K

81.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$13.7K NT$431.0K

-42.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$8,450 NT$266.2K

-49.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$1,713 NT$54.0K

-6.39%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Taipei: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $789 in Taipei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taipei pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $40.00 in Taipei. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 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 48% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,494 including rent). Taipei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Taipei earns 7% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $789 in Taipei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $626 in Taipei. 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 $1,494 in Taipei versus $2,210 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 48% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.