Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Xianyang Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Xianyang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $628 in Xianyang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $996 in Xianyang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,363 in Xianyang.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 252% more expensive than Xianyang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Xianyang is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$2.14 ¥14.46

643.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$16.46 ¥111

293.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$5.33 ¥36.03

97.19%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.42 ¥23.10

-16.08%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.34 ¥2.28

558.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.26 ¥1.74

476.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$0.72 ¥4.87

384.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$1.70 ¥11.50

128.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.36 ¥9.21

-16.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.96 ¥6.46

82.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.73 ¥4.94

141.10%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.68 ¥11.33

91.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$9.10 ¥61.5

48.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$1.66 ¥11.20

376.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$7.04 ¥47.59

125.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.09 ¥7.37

111.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.99 ¥6.67

71.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.27 ¥8.62

58.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.54 ¥3.63

355.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.43 ¥2.92

327.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.54 ¥3.63

270.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.55 ¥3.73

250.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.52 ¥3.53

51.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.77 ¥18.72

138.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$7.47 ¥50.5

-23.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.41 ¥2.76

234.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.71 ¥11.56

73.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.29 ¥1.98

717.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$16.82 ¥114

170.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.19 ¥8.06

260.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.33 ¥2.22

148.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$4.30 ¥29.10

325.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.12 ¥7.60

83.93%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$19.2K ¥129.5K

78.92%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$11.4K ¥76.8K

245.92%

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

$148 €127

$34.33 ¥232

330.73%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$5.95 ¥40.20

244.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$9.73 ¥65.8

307.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$42.52 ¥288

12.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$13.86 ¥93.7

36.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$4.80 ¥32.48

91.25%

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

$614 €528

$308 ¥2,084

99.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$13.9K ¥94.3K

15.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$36.89 ¥249

183.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$37.17 ¥251

13.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$68.9 ¥466

36.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$56.6 ¥382

111.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$283 ¥1,916

474.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$185 ¥1,249

579.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$594 ¥4,016

410.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$367 ¥2,483

450.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,325 ¥8,959

488.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$728 ¥4,921

487.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$595 ¥4,025

169.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.5

8.86%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Xianyang: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $283 in Xianyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 169% 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 $16.00 in Xianyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $140 per month, with Xianyang 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 Xianyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Xianyang differ by about 252% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $628 including rent). Xianyang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 169% 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 $283 in Xianyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $308 in Xianyang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 93% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $628 in Xianyang versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Xianyang but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Xianyang 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 Xianyang 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 Xianyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 252% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.