Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Urumqi Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Urumqi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $614 in Urumqi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $950 in Urumqi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,285 in Urumqi.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 277% more expensive than in Urumqi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Urumqi is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$3.41 ¥22.83

407.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$17.86 ¥120

254.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$5.31 ¥35.58

114.50%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.83 ¥18.98

12.72%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.43 ¥2.88

469.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.26 ¥1.76

576.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.12 ¥7.53

220.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$1.81 ¥12.14

87.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.21 ¥8.10

2.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.86 ¥5.74

130.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.66 ¥4.41

130.30%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$1.60 ¥10.73

152.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$6.09 ¥40.82

122.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$2.40 ¥16.11

249.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$9.84 ¥65.9

85.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.00 ¥13.40

14.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.22 ¥8.16

42.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.83 ¥12.24

1.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$0.72 ¥4.79

265.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.50 ¥3.32

284.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.60 ¥4.04

248.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.50 ¥3.37

188.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.46 ¥3.08

82.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.01 ¥20.18

125.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$10.21 ¥68.4

-44.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.13 ¥7.59

22.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.46 ¥9.77

52.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.31 ¥2.10

674.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

$18.14 ¥122

157.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.45 ¥9.72

187.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.31 ¥2.09

267.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$7.47 ¥50.1

136.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.19 ¥7.98

94.96%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$18.0K ¥121.0K

95.78%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$14.1K ¥94.2K

194.94%

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

$170 €147

$66.5 ¥445

156.25%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$5.32 ¥35.67

263.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$11.00 ¥73.7

205.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$22.56 ¥151

113.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$9.47 ¥63.4

110.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$6.00 ¥40.20

65.33%

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

$717 €617

$162 ¥1,086

342.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$8,774 ¥58.8K

99.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$52.0 ¥348

101.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$21.91 ¥147

114.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$102 ¥683

1.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$44.17 ¥296

180.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$264 ¥1,769

535.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$117 ¥787

981.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$411 ¥2,755

625.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$246 ¥1,647

710.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$1,830 ¥12.3K

327.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$1,150 ¥7,707

304.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$1,129 ¥7,565

40.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.39

11.80%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Urumqi: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $264 in Urumqi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 40% 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 $18.00 in Urumqi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $157 per month, with Urumqi 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 Urumqi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Urumqi differ by about 277% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $614 including rent). Urumqi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 40% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $264 in Urumqi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $162 in Urumqi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $614 in Urumqi versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Urumqi but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Urumqi 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 Urumqi 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 Urumqi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 277% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.