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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $789 in Xiamen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,265 in Xiamen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,741 in Xiamen.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 180% more expensive than Xiamen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Xiamen is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$2.83 ¥19.15

462.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$23.34 ¥158

177.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$5.42 ¥36.62

93.91%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.86 ¥19.37

0.35%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.48 ¥3.24

366.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.31 ¥2.11

383.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.37 ¥9.27

154.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.39 ¥22.93

14.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.87 ¥12.66

-39.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.07 ¥14.03

-15.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.80 ¥5.44

120.00%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.38 ¥9.34

133.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$11.09 ¥75.0

21.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$2.28 ¥15.40

246.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$11.28 ¥76.3

40.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.47 ¥16.69

-6.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.33 ¥8.98

27.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.50 ¥10.17

34.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.86 ¥12.56

32.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.95 ¥6.42

93.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.70 ¥11.48

17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.87 ¥5.85

121.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.55 ¥3.75

43.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.77 ¥18.74

138.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$11.21 ¥75.8

-48.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.79 ¥5.33

73.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.64 ¥11.12

81.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.22 ¥1.49

977.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$11.32 ¥76.6

302.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.35 ¥9.14

217.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.28 ¥1.91

192.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$6.49 ¥43.86

181.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.19 ¥8.08

73.11%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$16.2K ¥109.3K

111.99%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$17.5K ¥118.3K

124.59%

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

$148 €127

$39.37 ¥266

275.59%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$9.59 ¥64.9

113.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$9.73 ¥65.8

307.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$43.67 ¥295

9.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$9.94 ¥67.2

90.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$9.50 ¥64.3

-3.37%

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

$614 €528

$460 ¥3,109

33.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$22.1K ¥149.2K

-27.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$43.47 ¥294

140.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$26.64 ¥180

57.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$83.9 ¥568

11.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$80.7 ¥545

48.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$335 ¥2,263

386.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$251 ¥1,700

399.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$871 ¥5,887

248.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$517 ¥3,494

290.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$8,594 ¥58.1K

-9.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$4,660 ¥31.5K

-8.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,118 ¥7,557

43.47%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Xiamen: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $335 in Xiamen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 43% 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 $23.00 in Xiamen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 180% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $789 including rent). Xiamen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 43% 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 $335 in Xiamen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $460 in Xiamen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $789 in Xiamen versus $2,210 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 180% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.