Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Xiangtan Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Xiangtan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $723 in Xiangtan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,140 in Xiangtan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,558 in Xiangtan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 221% more expensive than in Xiangtan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Xiangtan is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$2.72 ¥18.24

536.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$21.87 ¥147

189.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$4.81 ¥32.27

136.80%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$2.95 ¥19.77

8.14%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.43 ¥2.91

469.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.27 ¥1.80

551.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$0.93 ¥6.22

286.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.12 ¥14.23

59.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.87 ¥12.54

-33.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.61 ¥10.82

22.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.90 ¥6.06

68.89%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$1.55 ¥10.41

160.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$12.82 ¥86.0

5.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$3.24 ¥21.74

158.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$10.39 ¥69.7

75.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.80 ¥12.11

27.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.27 ¥8.49

37.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.53 ¥10.26

21.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.15 ¥7.71

128.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.71 ¥4.74

170.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.95 ¥6.41

120.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.57 ¥3.80

152.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.54 ¥3.65

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.15 ¥21.11

115.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$10.69 ¥71.7

-46.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.79 ¥5.30

74.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.59 ¥10.66

39.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.27 ¥1.79

788.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$16.47 ¥110

184.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.37 ¥9.18

204.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.36 ¥2.39

216.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$6.71 ¥45.03

163.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.18 ¥7.93

96.61%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$19.4K ¥129.8K

82.60%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$17.2K ¥115.6K

140.50%

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

$170 €146

$45.56 ¥306

273.86%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$9.97 ¥66.9

93.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$11.58 ¥77.7

190.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$42.42 ¥285

13.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$14.00 ¥94.0

42.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$6.00 ¥40.25

65.33%

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

$717 €617

$329 ¥2,209

117.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$16.9K ¥113.7K

3.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$44.22 ¥297

136.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$29.89 ¥201

57.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$72.1 ¥484

43.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$71.6 ¥480

73.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$282 ¥1,892

494.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$195 ¥1,308

551.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$599 ¥4,019

398.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$360 ¥2,412

454.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$3,015 ¥20.2K

159.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$2,003 ¥13.4K

132.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.89

-2.57%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Xiangtan: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $282 in Xiangtan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $22.00 in Xiangtan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $200 per month, with Xiangtan 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 Xiangtan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Xiangtan differ by about 221% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $723 including rent). Xiangtan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Lisbon and $1,084 in Xiangtan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $282 in Xiangtan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $329 in Xiangtan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $723 in Xiangtan versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Xiangtan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Xiangtan 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 Xiangtan 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 Xiangtan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 221% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.