Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wuhan Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wuhan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $822 in Wuhan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,293 in Wuhan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,765 in Wuhan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 176% more expensive than in Wuhan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Wuhan is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$2.96 ¥19.84

492.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$22.53 ¥151

186.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$6.87 ¥45.98

69.58%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.21 ¥14.83

47.51%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.48 ¥3.22

418.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.30 ¥2.04

456.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.06 ¥7.09

227.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.31 ¥22.14

8.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$2.08 ¥13.91

-43.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.84 ¥12.31

5.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.00 ¥6.69

56.00%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.61 ¥10.81

149.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$13.10 ¥87.8

1.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$3.55 ¥23.80

137.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$13.69 ¥91.7

33.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.19 ¥14.70

5.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.22 ¥8.17

41.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.40 ¥9.38

37.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.14 ¥7.61

131.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.76 ¥5.11

150.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.77 ¥5.13

174.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.37 ¥2.48

289.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.48 ¥3.22

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$6.54 ¥43.83

7.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$11.71 ¥78.5

-49.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$0.77 ¥5.17

76.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.09 ¥13.99

2.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.57 ¥3.82

317.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$30.32 ¥203

52.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.52 ¥10.17

175.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.29 ¥1.93

279.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$4.57 ¥30.60

277.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.29 ¥8.63

74.42%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$19.2K ¥128.6K

79.56%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$16.8K ¥112.3K

148.26%

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

$171 €147

$58.7 ¥393

191.36%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$8.23 ¥55.1

130.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$11.90 ¥79.7

188.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$58.1 ¥389

-14.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$22.33 ¥150

-12.63%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$6.00 ¥40.20

68.33%

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

$699 €603

$423 ¥2,831

65.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$9,431 ¥63.2K

88.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$52.7 ¥353

98.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$33.38 ¥224

43.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$78.9 ¥528

29.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$101 ¥675

27.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$345 ¥2,313

381.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$208 ¥1,392

491.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$648 ¥4,337

350.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$354 ¥2,370

471.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$3,067 ¥20.5K

165.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,527 ¥10.2K

203.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,111 ¥7,443

45.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.35

12.84%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Wuhan: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $345 in Wuhan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 46% 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 $23.00 in Wuhan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $220 per month, with Wuhan 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 Wuhan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Wuhan differ by about 176% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $822 including rent). Wuhan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 46% 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 $345 in Wuhan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $423 in Wuhan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $822 in Wuhan versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Wuhan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Wuhan 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 Wuhan 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 Wuhan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 176% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.