Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tianjin Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tianjin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $808 in Tianjin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,270 in Tianjin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,732 in Tianjin.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 184% more expensive than in Tianjin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Tianjin is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$4.20 ¥28.43

285.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$28.32 ¥192

123.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$5.52 ¥37.38

86.96%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.21 ¥21.74

-11.84%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.43 ¥2.90

432.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.29 ¥1.98

444.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$0.85 ¥5.78

300.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.00 ¥13.54

101.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.87 ¥12.65

-41.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.82 ¥12.31

-3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.13 ¥7.62

55.75%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.17 ¥7.92

170.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$15.18 ¥103

-13.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$2.86 ¥19.37

178.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$9.38 ¥63.5

65.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.20 ¥8.15

97.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.30 ¥8.80

31.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.37 ¥9.27

46.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.10 ¥7.41

120.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.84 ¥5.71

109.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.87 ¥5.89

133.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.71 ¥4.83

170.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.80 ¥5.44

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.88 ¥26.26

69.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$13.53 ¥91.6

-58.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.17 ¥7.90

13.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.37 ¥16.03

25.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.27 ¥1.83

744.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$11.32 ¥76.6

304.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.44 ¥9.73

193.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.32 ¥2.19

153.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$6.31 ¥42.72

192.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.12 ¥7.59

85.71%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$17.0K ¥115.1K

103.84%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$19.4K ¥131.5K

101.51%

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

$148 €130

$87.1 ¥589

69.98%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$9.96 ¥67.4

105.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$7.11 ¥48.11

456.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$13.79 ¥93.3

248.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$5.48 ¥37.09

239.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$6.09 ¥41.21

51.40%

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

$616 €539

$561 ¥3,794

9.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$18.9K ¥127.9K

-13.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$40.16 ¥272

155.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$29.39 ¥199

42.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$75.7 ¥512

25.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$69.8 ¥473

74.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$350 ¥2,368

366.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$240 ¥1,625

413.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,063 ¥7,193

191.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$493 ¥3,335

312.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$5,328 ¥36.1K

46.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$2,370 ¥16.0K

85.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,159 ¥7,843

38.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.62

-17.53%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Tianjin: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $350 in Tianjin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 39% 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 $28.00 in Tianjin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $213 per month, with Tianjin cheaper across the board.

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 Tianjin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tianjin differ by about 184% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $808 including rent). Tianjin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 39% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $350 in Tianjin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $561 in Tianjin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $808 in Tianjin versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tianjin but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tianjin 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 Tianjin 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 Tianjin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 184% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.