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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $785 in Xiamen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,259 in Xiamen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,732 in Xiamen.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 192% more expensive than in Xiamen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Xiamen is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$2.87 ¥19.39

464.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$23.00 ¥156

175.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$5.66 ¥38.27

82.33%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.78 ¥18.81

1.80%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.48 ¥3.24

377.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.31 ¥2.12

409.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.41 ¥9.52

141.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.55 ¥24.04

13.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.84 ¥12.46

-40.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.10 ¥14.24

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.78 ¥5.27

125.64%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.34 ¥9.07

136.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$11.28 ¥76.3

16.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$2.34 ¥15.85

240.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$11.12 ¥75.3

39.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.43 ¥16.45

-2.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.40 ¥9.45

22.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.50 ¥10.16

34.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.93 ¥13.04

25.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.92 ¥6.22

91.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.69 ¥11.46

20.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.87 ¥5.89

120.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.54 ¥3.67

57.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.83 ¥19.13

132.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$11.10 ¥75.1

-49.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.75 ¥5.06

77.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.59 ¥10.73

86.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.22 ¥1.49

936.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$11.20 ¥75.8

308.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.40 ¥9.50

202.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.26 ¥1.75

211.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$6.86 ¥46.39

168.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.13 ¥7.63

84.07%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$16.6K ¥112.2K

109.10%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$17.4K ¥118.1K

124.42%

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

$148 €130

$39.46 ¥267

275.19%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$9.88 ¥66.9

107.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$9.78 ¥66.2

304.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$44.34 ¥300

8.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$9.67 ¥65.5

92.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$9.59 ¥64.9

-3.86%

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

$616 €539

$459 ¥3,104

34.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$22.1K ¥149.5K

-25.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$42.60 ¥288

141.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$26.83 ¥182

55.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$85.9 ¥581

10.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$79.0 ¥535

54.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$338 ¥2,284

383.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$245 ¥1,657

403.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$865 ¥5,853

258.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$510 ¥3,450

298.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$8,479 ¥57.4K

-7.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$4,751 ¥32.2K

-7.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,115 ¥7,544

44.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.56

7.02%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Xiamen: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $338 in Xiamen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 44% 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 Xiamen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $208 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 192% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $785 including rent). Xiamen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 44% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $338 in Xiamen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $459 in Xiamen. 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 $785 in Xiamen versus $2,291 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 192% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.