Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wuxi Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wuxi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $742 in Wuxi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,181 in Wuxi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,619 in Wuxi.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Wuxi is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.92

$3.69 ¥24.76

368.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$23.44 ¥157

169.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$4.56 ¥30.61

149.78%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$3.06 ¥20.53

4.25%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$0.52 ¥3.47

371.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.30 ¥1.99

486.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$1.52 ¥10.23

136.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

$3.02 ¥20.24

12.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.80 ¥12.08

-31.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.13 ¥14.26

-7.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.08 ¥7.26

40.74%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$1.82 ¥12.20

121.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$13.43 ¥90.1

0.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.23

$3.46 ¥23.25

142.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.74

$11.09 ¥74.5

64.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.71 ¥18.19

-15.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.30 ¥8.70

33.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.59 ¥10.69

16.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$1.17 ¥7.84

124.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.63 ¥4.20

204.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.85 ¥5.72

145.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.62 ¥4.19

132.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.54 ¥3.66

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$5.22 ¥35.00

29.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$11.76 ¥78.9

-51.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.87 ¥5.83

58.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.13 ¥14.29

4.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$0.43 ¥2.89

458.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.35

$18.94 ¥127

146.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$1.51 ¥10.15

176.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.43 ¥2.88

165.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.25

$9.13 ¥61.3

93.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.24 ¥8.35

87.10%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$19.2K ¥129.1K

83.67%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

118.66%

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

$170 €147

$37.14 ¥249

358.62%

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

$19.34 €16.68

$11.57 ¥77.6

67.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.01

$27.14 ¥182

23.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.48

$46.96 ¥315

2.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.16

$6.84 ¥45.93

190.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$5.83 ¥39.15

70.15%

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

$717 €619

$435 ¥2,920

64.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

$16.6K ¥111.1K

5.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$34.55 ¥232

203.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.49

$21.45 ¥144

118.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$63.9 ¥429

61.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$45.10 ¥303

174.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,446

$326 ¥2,191

413.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,096

$204 ¥1,371

522.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,574

$584 ¥3,921

410.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,718

$376 ¥2,522

430.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,750

$3,605 ¥24.2K

117.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,017

$1,947 ¥13.1K

139.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,365

$1,053 ¥7,066

50.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.13

21.09%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Wuxi: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $326 in Wuxi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 50% 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 $23.00 in Wuxi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $220 per month, with Wuxi 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 Wuxi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Wuxi differ by about 212% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $742 including rent). Wuxi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 50% 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 $326 in Wuxi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $435 in Wuxi. 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 $742 in Wuxi versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wuxi but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Wuxi 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 Wuxi 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 Wuxi 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.