Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Xi'an Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Xi'an

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $691 in Xi'an.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,093 in Xi'an.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,494 in Xi'an.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 235% more expensive than in Xi'an, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Xi'an is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$2.62 ¥17.58

560.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$18.12 ¥122

249.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$4.44 ¥29.81

156.53%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$2.13 ¥14.31

49.77%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.41 ¥2.73

497.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.29 ¥1.96

506.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.47 ¥9.88

144.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$1.46 ¥9.79

132.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.47 ¥9.89

-15.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.74 ¥11.69

13.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.90 ¥6.01

68.89%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$1.48 ¥9.94

172.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$11.50 ¥77.1

17.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$3.56 ¥23.89

135.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$10.45 ¥70.1

74.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.66 ¥11.15

37.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.12 ¥7.51

55.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.24 ¥8.30

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.30 ¥8.73

102.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.67 ¥4.52

186.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.76 ¥5.07

175.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.53 ¥3.57

171.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.55 ¥3.68

52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.35 ¥22.50

102.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$8.57 ¥57.5

-33.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.78 ¥5.22

76.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.64 ¥11.01

35.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.31 ¥2.09

674.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$25.93 ¥174

80.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.28 ¥8.62

225.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.29 ¥1.92

293.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$4.38 ¥29.39

303.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.28 ¥8.60

81.25%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

86.39%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$17.8K ¥119.4K

132.94%

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

$170 €146

$62.2 ¥417

174.06%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$6.28 ¥42.11

207.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$10.76 ¥72.2

212.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$30.18 ¥203

59.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$21.09 ¥142

-5.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$5.49 ¥36.83

80.69%

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

$717 €617

$687 ¥4,612

4.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$17.5K ¥117.7K

-0.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$38.47 ¥258

172.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$37.60 ¥252

24.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$73.5 ¥493

40.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$84.4 ¥567

46.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$309 ¥2,072

442.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$173 ¥1,162

633.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$871 ¥5,843

242.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$352 ¥2,362

465.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$2,425 ¥16.3K

222.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,621 ¥10.9K

187.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$1,093 ¥7,331

44.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.35

13.13%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Xi'an: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $309 in Xi'an. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 45% 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 $18.00 in Xi'an for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $188 per month, with Xi'an 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 Xi'an: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Xi'an differ by about 235% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $691 including rent). Xi'an is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% 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 $309 in Xi'an. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $687 in Xi'an. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $691 in Xi'an versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Xi'an but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Xi'an 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 Xi'an 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 Xi'an gentler on the wallet – expenses run 235% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.