Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Taizhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Taizhou: $774 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Taizhou, China
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Taizhou
🇨🇳 China
$774
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Taizhou

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Taizhou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $774 in Taizhou.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Taizhou $774

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $1,255 in Taizhou.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Taizhou $1,255

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $1,735 in Taizhou.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Taizhou $1,735

Living in Lisbon is roughly 184% more expensive than in Taizhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Taizhou is 43% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Taizhou
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.21
$3.76 ¥25.05
353.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.6
$25.85 ¥172
140.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.83
$4.54 ¥30.25
142.73%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.79
$3.43 ¥22.87
-9.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$0.53 ¥3.56
328.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.29 ¥1.91
500.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.06
$1.17 ¥7.82
192.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.34
$2.27 ¥15.15
64.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Taizhou
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.05
$1.87 ¥12.44
-37.43%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.65 ¥11.00
12.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.38
$0.54 ¥3.59
185.19%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.63
$1.18 ¥7.87
244.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.53
$19.42 ¥130
-33.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.05
$3.66 ¥24.44
115.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.75
$10.17 ¥67.9
73.45%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.02
$1.19 ¥7.95
89.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.56
$1.33 ¥8.87
31.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.69
$1.52 ¥10.15
24.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.28
$1.61 ¥10.75
59.01%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.65
$0.74 ¥4.95
150.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$0.93 ¥6.22
111.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$0.68 ¥4.53
113.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$0.58 ¥3.87
32.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.99
$4.22 ¥28.12
59.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.06
$13.50 ¥90.0
-58.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$0.43 ¥2.89
218.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.89
$1.64 ¥10.95
28.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Taizhou
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$0.29 ¥1.93
700.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.65
$18.07 ¥121
145.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.52
$1.22 ¥8.10
223.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.94
$0.39 ¥2.58
169.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.31
$7.02 ¥46.81
144.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.96
$1.28 ¥8.55
71.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.2K
$19.4K ¥129.6K
73.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.2K
$16.3K ¥108.8K
134.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Taizhou
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$48.64 ¥324
236.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.49
$8.88 ¥59.2
108.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.42
$11.43 ¥76.2
188.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Taizhou
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.93
$41.01 ¥274
11.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.67
$15.17 ¥101
23.14%
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.70
$7.43 ¥49.56
31.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Taizhou
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €611
$564 ¥3,761
21.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$35.6K ¥237.4K
-50.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Taizhou
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.6
$33.06 ¥220
213.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.23
$42.37 ¥283
9.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €89.0
$83.2 ¥555
19.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$108 ¥722
15.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Taizhou
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,418
$299 ¥1,994
431.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,043
$185 ¥1,236
531.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,544
$640 ¥4,267
345.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,779
$380 ¥2,537
424.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,955
$3,418 ¥22.8K
128.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,943
$1,980 ¥13.2K
123.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Taizhou
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,428
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.5
10.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Taizhou: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Taizhou
$185 84.2% $984
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Taizhou
$223 18.2% $50
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Taizhou
$98 60.2% $149
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Taizhou
$69 68% $146
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Taizhou
$120 28.7% $48
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Taizhou
$56 14.5% $9.5
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Taizhou
$22 64.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $299 in Taizhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $26 in Taizhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $223 per month, with Taizhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇨🇳 Taizhou
🕒 Local time
17:16 5:16 PM
01:16 1:16 AM
8 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
615,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.47 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Taizhou 10,940 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Taizhou

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Taizhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Taizhou?
Lisbon and Taizhou differ by about 184% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $774 including rent). Taizhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Taizhou?
You’d need roughly $3,302 in Lisbon and $1,162 in Taizhou to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Taizhou?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $299 in Taizhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Taizhou?
Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $564 in Taizhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Taizhou?
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.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Taizhou?
Expats usually find Taizhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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