Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wenzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wenzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $634 in Wenzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,073 in Wenzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,512 in Wenzhou.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 262% more expensive than in Wenzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Wenzhou is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$2.92 ¥19.56

502.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$29.33 ¥196

114.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$7.39 ¥49.52

56.70%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.65 ¥17.73

16.98%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.50 ¥3.34

398.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.30 ¥2.02

480.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$0.85 ¥5.70

309.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.91 ¥19.52

18.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$2.07 ¥13.85

-44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$2.02 ¥13.56

-5.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.26 ¥8.41

19.05%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$1.91 ¥12.79

108.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$7.25 ¥48.57

83.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$3.01 ¥20.15

166.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$9.09 ¥60.9

98.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.87 ¥12.52

25.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.79 ¥12.01

-2.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.75 ¥11.72

5.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.12 ¥7.51

127.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.58 ¥3.89

217.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.76 ¥5.06

176.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.47 ¥3.14

217.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.59 ¥3.97

38.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$3.37 ¥22.56

110.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$12.87 ¥86.2

-54.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.18 ¥7.88

11.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.22 ¥8.17

74.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.31 ¥2.08

661.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.65 ¥11.08

147.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.38 ¥2.55

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$7.95 ¥53.3

114.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.18 ¥7.87

95.76%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$19.4K ¥130.3K

75.47%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$15.7K ¥104.9K

164.31%

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

$169 €147

$30.22 ¥202

457.74%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$6.58 ¥44.07

193.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$9.02 ¥60.4

271.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$13.72 ¥91.9

255.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$26.75 ¥179

-27.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$7.38 ¥49.45

29.67%

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

$696 €607

$1,260 ¥8,437

-44.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$9,788 ¥65.6K

77.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$43.83 ¥294

140.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$18.84 ¥126

153.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$95.8 ¥641

4.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$43.99 ¥295

182.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$240 ¥1,607

592.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$166 ¥1,109

652.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$624 ¥4,177

375.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$362 ¥2,426

465.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$4,147 ¥27.8K

88.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$2,688 ¥18.0K

66.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$868 ¥5,812

88.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.22

17.39%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Wenzhou: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $240 in Wenzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 88% 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 $29.00 in Wenzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $197 per month, with Wenzhou 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 Wenzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Wenzhou differ by about 262% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $634 including rent). Wenzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 88% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $240 in Wenzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $634 in Wenzhou – a 262% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $634 in Wenzhou versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Wenzhou but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Wenzhou 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 Wenzhou 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 Wenzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 262% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.