Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Xiamen Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Xiamen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $843 in Xiamen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,326 in Xiamen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,809 in Xiamen.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 175% more expensive than in Xiamen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Xiamen is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.93

$3.06 ¥20.52

465.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$23.77 ¥160

166.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$5.23 ¥35.12

117.78%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.51 ¥16.84

27.09%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$0.45 ¥3.03

444.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.31 ¥2.11

467.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$1.50 ¥10.08

139.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

$2.88 ¥19.35

17.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.51 ¥10.10

-17.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.24 ¥15.03

-11.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.91 ¥6.12

67.03%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$1.57 ¥10.55

157.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$12.07 ¥81.0

12.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.24

$2.46 ¥16.48

241.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.75

$11.98 ¥80.4

52.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.56 ¥17.17

-10.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.43 ¥9.57

21.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.66 ¥11.13

12.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$2.06 ¥13.81

27.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.03 ¥6.94

86.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.82 ¥12.20

14.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.91 ¥6.10

58.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.50 ¥3.38

68.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$2.93 ¥19.64

131.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$11.19 ¥75.1

-48.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.79 ¥5.27

74.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.69 ¥11.34

31.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$0.14 ¥0.93

1614.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.37

$11.99 ¥80.5

290.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$1.52 ¥10.17

174.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.31 ¥2.08

267.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.26

$6.97 ¥46.76

153.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.01

$1.27 ¥8.53

82.68%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$19.6K ¥131.8K

79.87%

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

$41.4K €35.8K

$17.5K ¥117.3K

137.13%

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

$170 €147

$44.32 ¥297

284.32%

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

$19.34 €16.69

$8.41 ¥56.4

129.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.03

$10.45 ¥70.1

221.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.50

$47.57 ¥319

1.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

$10.51 ¥70.5

89.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$9.99 ¥67.1

-0.70%

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

$717 €619

$483 ¥3,242

48.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

$24.7K ¥165.5K

-29.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$38.51 ¥258

172.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.51

$28.54 ¥192

64.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$106 ¥711

-2.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$85.8 ¥576

44.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,447

$352 ¥2,365

375.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,097

$260 ¥1,745

388.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,575

$832 ¥5,581

258.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,719

$540 ¥3,623

268.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,753

$8,531 ¥57.2K

-8.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,019

$4,728 ¥31.7K

-1.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,366

$1,131 ¥7,589

39.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.46

9.54%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Xiamen: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $352 in Xiamen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 40% 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 $24.00 in Xiamen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $216 per month, with Xiamen 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 Xiamen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Xiamen differ by about 175% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $843 including rent). Xiamen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 40% 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 $352 in Xiamen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $483 in Xiamen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $843 in Xiamen versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Xiamen but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Xiamen 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 Xiamen 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 Xiamen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 175% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.