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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $737 in Wuxi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,192 in Wuxi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,648 in Wuxi.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 200% more expensive than Wuxi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Wuxi is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$3.38 ¥22.85

370.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$27.63 ¥187

134.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$4.99 ¥33.71

110.62%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.34 ¥22.57

-14.07%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.44 ¥2.95

409.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.29 ¥1.96

417.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$0.81 ¥5.49

330.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.51 ¥16.96

54.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.92 ¥13.00

-40.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.79 ¥12.13

-2.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.03 ¥6.94

70.87%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.04 ¥13.78

57.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$14.44 ¥97.6

-6.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.32 ¥22.42

138.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$11.21 ¥75.8

41.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.25 ¥15.21

2.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.12 ¥7.60

51.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.61 ¥10.86

24.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.94 ¥6.36

161.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.64 ¥4.32

187.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.69 ¥4.68

189.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.66 ¥4.44

192.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.48 ¥3.24

64.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$4.97 ¥33.57

33.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$10.93 ¥73.9

-47.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.67 ¥4.51

104.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.86 ¥12.59

59.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.29 ¥1.98

717.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$13.81 ¥93.4

229.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.36 ¥9.16

215.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.43 ¥2.87

90.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$8.54 ¥57.7

114.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.20 ¥8.13

71.67%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$17.8K ¥120.6K

92.15%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$19.4K ¥131.4K

102.12%

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

$148 €127

$35.04 ¥237

322.00%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$16.60 ¥112

23.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$25.28 ¥171

56.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$51.4 ¥347

-6.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$6.92 ¥46.80

173.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$7.53 ¥50.9

21.91%

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

$614 €528

$422 ¥2,852

45.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$17.3K ¥116.7K

-7.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$40.53 ¥274

158.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$27.32 ¥185

53.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$64.2 ¥434

46.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$38.18 ¥258

213.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$310 ¥2,093

425.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$209 ¥1,413

500.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$603 ¥4,077

402.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$373 ¥2,520

442.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$3,655 ¥24.7K

113.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,952 ¥13.2K

118.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,056 ¥7,137

51.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.02

-5.22%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Wuxi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $310 in Wuxi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 52% 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 $28.00 in Wuxi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $213 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 200% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $737 including rent). Wuxi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 52% 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 $310 in Wuxi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $422 in Wuxi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $737 in Wuxi versus $2,210 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 200% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.