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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $872 in Tianjin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,337 in Tianjin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,802 in Tianjin.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 160% more expensive than in Tianjin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Tianjin is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$4.19 ¥28.07

318.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$23.77 ¥159

171.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$5.79 ¥38.78

101.21%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$4.03 ¥26.97

-19.11%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.47 ¥3.12

429.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.26 ¥1.73

542.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$0.99 ¥6.62

250.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$1.74 ¥11.66

105.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.49 ¥9.95

-20.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.31 ¥15.47

-15.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.68 ¥11.24

-7.14%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.27 ¥8.49

215.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$15.18 ¥102

-12.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$3.74 ¥25.08

125.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$9.81 ¥65.7

85.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.68 ¥11.26

38.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.53 ¥10.26

13.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.77 ¥11.88

9.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.18 ¥7.89

123.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.83 ¥5.57

128.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.20 ¥8.07

75.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.67 ¥4.47

114.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.75 ¥5.00

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$5.11 ¥34.25

37.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$13.45 ¥90.1

-55.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.03 ¥6.88

32.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.44 ¥16.36

-11.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.29 ¥1.93

720.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$8.73 ¥58.5

429.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.62 ¥10.83

158.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.35 ¥2.36

214.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$6.35 ¥42.53

171.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.22 ¥8.19

84.43%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$19.6K ¥131.5K

75.51%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$17.3K ¥115.8K

140.61%

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

$171 €147

$96.1 ¥643

77.89%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$6.20 ¥41.49

206.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$7.53 ¥50.4

355.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$16.54 ¥111

200.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$10.26 ¥68.7

90.16%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$7.38 ¥49.41

36.86%

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

$699 €603

$647 ¥4,331

8.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$56.3 ¥377

85.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$35.16 ¥235

36.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$101 ¥678

0.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$125 ¥839

2.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$331 ¥2,219

401.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$251 ¥1,679

390.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$647 ¥4,336

350.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$465 ¥3,117

334.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$5,289 ¥35.4K

53.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$2,400 ¥16.1K

93.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,182 ¥7,918

36.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.54

6.78%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Tianjin: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $331 in Tianjin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 37% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $24.00 in Tianjin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $227 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 160% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $872 including rent). Tianjin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 37% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $331 in Tianjin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $647 in Tianjin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $872 in Tianjin versus $2,268 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 160% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.