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: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $689 in Xi'an.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,102 in Xi'an.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $1,516 in Xi'an.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 222% more expensive than in Xi'an, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Xi'an is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.77

$2.84 ¥19.25

455.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €54.5

$18.34 ¥124

240.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.19

$5.58 ¥37.77

88.89%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.41

$3.32 ¥22.48

-16.57%

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

$2.28 €1.99

$0.43 ¥2.89

430.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.26 ¥1.75

496.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.09

$1.13 ¥7.66

214.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.79 ¥12.11

122.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.54 ¥10.43

-29.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.60 ¥10.84

10.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$0.86 ¥5.83

105.81%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.72

$1.63 ¥11.01

91.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.64

$7.16 ¥48.48

86.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.98

$1.96 ¥13.25

307.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.89

$9.10 ¥61.6

74.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.66 ¥11.26

37.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.19 ¥8.03

37.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.33 ¥9.00

48.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$0.82 ¥5.56

198.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$0.65 ¥4.43

172.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.60 ¥4.07

228.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.55 ¥3.74

258.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.55 ¥3.73

45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.70

$2.78 ¥18.79

135.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.01

$7.55 ¥51.1

-23.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.15

$0.72 ¥4.84

83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.60

$1.78 ¥12.02

67.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.04

$0.47 ¥3.18

397.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €40.01

$33.96 ¥230

35.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.71

$1.38 ¥9.32

208.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.74

$0.30 ¥2.01

180.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.45

$4.07 ¥27.51

363.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.18 ¥7.98

75.42%

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

$35.2K €30.8K

$21.1K ¥142.6K

67.24%

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

$38.6K €33.7K

$16.4K ¥111.0K

135.45%

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

$151 €132

$45.77 ¥310

230.19%

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

$20.91 €18.24

$6.01 ¥40.71

247.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.50

$11.96 ¥80.9

230.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €42.22

$43.61 ¥295

10.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.24

$16.41 ¥111

13.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.89

$5.01 ¥33.90

80.44%

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

$610 €532

$334 ¥2,259

82.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$18.1K ¥122.8K

-10.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.3

$53.9 ¥365

87.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €35.41

$36.87 ¥250

10.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €81.2

$68.1 ¥461

36.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$70.2 ¥475

69.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,398

$259 ¥1,750

519.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,081

$190 ¥1,284

552.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,634

$502 ¥3,397

501.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,798

$382 ¥2,584

439.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,963

$2,366 ¥16.0K

237.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,955

$1,616 ¥10.9K

180.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,421

$1,052 ¥7,118

54.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.32

-11.81%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Xi'an: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $259 in Xi'an. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 55% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $18.00 in Xi'an for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $159 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 222% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $689 including rent). Xi'an is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 55% 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $259 in Xi'an. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $334 in Xi'an. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $689 in Xi'an versus $2,217 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 222% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.