Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wuwei Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wuwei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $708 in Wuwei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,128 in Wuwei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,547 in Wuwei.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 212% more expensive than Wuwei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Wuwei is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.80

$2.75 ¥18.62

478.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$21.07 ¥143

207.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.11

$4.89 ¥33.15

114.93%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$3.08 ¥20.92

-6.82%

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

$2.24 €1.95

$0.44 ¥2.97

409.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.27 ¥1.83

455.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$0.95 ¥6.43

267.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$2.05 ¥13.89

89.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.76 ¥11.91

-35.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.54 ¥10.46

13.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.89 ¥6.06

97.75%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$1.61 ¥10.95

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.70

$13.04 ¥88.4

3.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.86

$3.07 ¥20.85

157.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$10.33 ¥70.1

53.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$1.78 ¥12.09

29.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.20 ¥8.15

41.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.35 ¥9.15

48.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$1.12 ¥7.63

119.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.71 ¥4.82

159.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$0.91 ¥6.17

119.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.61 ¥4.11

216.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.51 ¥3.47

54.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$3.21 ¥21.75

105.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.96

$11.40 ¥77.4

-49.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.79 ¥5.36

73.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$1.60 ¥10.84

85.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$0.27 ¥1.81

777.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.51

$16.41 ¥111

177.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$1.38 ¥9.34

210.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.36 ¥2.41

127.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.87

$6.57 ¥44.55

178.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.14 ¥7.71

80.70%

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

$34.3K €29.7K

$19.0K ¥129.2K

79.97%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$16.6K ¥112.3K

137.29%

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

$148 €128

$46.69 ¥317

216.71%

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

$20.52 €17.79

$9.68 ¥65.7

111.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.35

$11.58 ¥78.5

242.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.49

$41.32 ¥280

15.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.41

$13.87 ¥94.1

36.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.96

$6.15 ¥41.71

49.27%

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

$614 €532

$337 ¥2,284

82.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$16.8K ¥113.8K

-4.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$42.95 ¥291

143.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.47

$29.95 ¥203

40.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$72.1 ¥489

30.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$74.7 ¥507

60.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

$282 ¥1,914

476.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

$184 ¥1,248

582.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,628

$589 ¥3,995

414.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,752

$365 ¥2,474

453.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,764

$3,347 ¥22.7K

133.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,705

$1,752 ¥11.9K

143.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

$607 ¥4,114

164.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.87

-1.55%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Wuwei: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $282 in Wuwei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 164% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $21.00 in Wuwei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $198 per month, with Wuwei 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 Wuwei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Wuwei differ by about 212% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $708 including rent). Wuwei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 164% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $282 in Wuwei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $337 in Wuwei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $708 in Wuwei versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Wuwei but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Wuwei 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 Wuwei 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 Wuwei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 212% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.