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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $783 in Tianjin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,245 in Tianjin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,707 in Tianjin.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 182% more expensive than Tianjin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Tianjin is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$4.23 ¥28.59

276.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$28.12 ¥190

130.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$5.67 ¥38.31

85.36%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.17 ¥21.46

-9.46%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.47 ¥3.19

376.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.27 ¥1.82

455.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$0.83 ¥5.59

320.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$1.90 ¥12.83

104.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.85 ¥12.49

-38.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.79 ¥12.12

-2.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.14 ¥7.70

54.39%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.18 ¥7.96

172.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$15.22 ¥103

-11.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$2.87 ¥19.37

175.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$9.38 ¥63.4

69.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.28 ¥8.62

80.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.29 ¥8.71

31.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.33 ¥8.97

51.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.14 ¥7.73

115.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.79 ¥5.36

132.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.92 ¥6.23

117.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.73 ¥4.93

164.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.80 ¥5.43

-1.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.92 ¥26.51

68.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$13.10 ¥88.5

-56.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.16 ¥7.86

18.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.34 ¥15.81

26.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.29 ¥1.97

717.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$11.31 ¥76.5

302.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.42 ¥9.59

202.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.35 ¥2.38

134.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$6.34 ¥42.84

188.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.16 ¥7.85

77.59%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$16.4K ¥110.8K

109.19%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$19.2K ¥130.1K

104.24%

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

$148 €127

$84.9 ¥574

74.21%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$10.10 ¥68.3

103.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$6.83 ¥46.20

479.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$13.80 ¥93.3

246.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$5.60 ¥37.86

237.86%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$6.10 ¥41.26

50.49%

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

$614 €528

$547 ¥3,702

12.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$18.6K ¥126.0K

-13.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$39.78 ¥269

163.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$28.79 ¥195

46.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$75.2 ¥508

25.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$69.0 ¥467

73.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$350 ¥2,367

364.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$232 ¥1,571

440.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,042 ¥7,047

190.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$481 ¥3,255

319.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$5,331 ¥36.0K

46.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$2,347 ¥15.9K

82.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,150 ¥7,777

39.41%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Tianjin: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $28.00 in Tianjin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $212 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 182% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $783 including rent). Tianjin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 39% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $350 in Tianjin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $547 in Tianjin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $783 in Tianjin versus $2,210 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 182% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.