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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $631 in Wenzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,052 in Wenzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,473 in Wenzhou.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 263% more expensive than in Wenzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Wenzhou is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$2.81 ¥19.04

476.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$26.19 ¥177

141.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$4.91 ¥33.23

110.18%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.73 ¥18.50

3.66%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.46 ¥3.10

397.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.27 ¥1.81

485.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$0.87 ¥5.90

290.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$1.69 ¥11.44

138.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.99 ¥13.50

-45.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.89 ¥12.79

-7.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.00 ¥6.77

76.00%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.78 ¥12.05

78.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$17.32 ¥117

-23.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$2.62 ¥17.73

204.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$9.69 ¥65.6

60.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.64 ¥11.10

44.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.47 ¥9.93

16.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.60 ¥10.84

25.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.20 ¥8.12

102.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.78 ¥5.29

125.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.94 ¥6.37

115.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.62 ¥4.21

209.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.50 ¥3.36

70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$4.09 ¥27.71

60.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$13.08 ¥88.5

-57.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.70 ¥4.74

90.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.72 ¥11.61

72.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.29 ¥1.97

686.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$16.88 ¥114

171.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.51 ¥10.25

180.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.33 ¥2.20

145.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$6.13 ¥41.51

200.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.17 ¥7.93

77.78%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$19.7K ¥133.6K

75.62%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$15.3K ¥103.5K

155.95%

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

$148 €130

$28.30 ¥192

423.14%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$6.44 ¥43.57

217.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$18.63 ¥126

112.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$12.83 ¥86.9

274.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$25.57 ¥173

-27.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$6.21 ¥42.01

48.47%

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

$616 €539

$447 ¥3,027

37.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$9,258 ¥62.7K

77.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$40.06 ¥271

156.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$17.96 ¥122

132.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$72.8 ¥493

30.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$41.58 ¥281

193.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$225 ¥1,522

625.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$160 ¥1,086

668.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$596 ¥4,036

419.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$343 ¥2,319

492.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$4,080 ¥27.6K

91.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$2,578 ¥17.4K

70.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$837 ¥5,666

91.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.83

-0.52%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Wenzhou: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $225 in Wenzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 92% 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 $26.00 in Wenzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $219 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 263% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $631 including rent). Wenzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 92% 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 $225 in Wenzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $447 in Wenzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $631 in Wenzhou versus $2,291 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 263% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.