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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $622 in Xianyang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $972 in Xianyang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,323 in Xianyang.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 269% more expensive than in Xianyang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Xianyang is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$2.13 ¥14.41

660.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$16.66 ¥113

280.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$5.19 ¥35.07

98.84%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.41 ¥23.06

-17.01%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.34 ¥2.28

573.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.26 ¥1.74

507.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$0.68 ¥4.59

400.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$1.78 ¥12.05

126.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.43 ¥9.64

-23.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.99 ¥6.69

76.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.72 ¥4.89

144.44%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.62 ¥10.93

95.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$9.01 ¥60.9

46.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$1.70 ¥11.47

368.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$6.80 ¥45.96

128.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.08 ¥7.33

119.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.93 ¥6.26

83.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.34 ¥9.03

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.54 ¥3.67

350.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.43 ¥2.93

309.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.57 ¥3.88

256.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.55 ¥3.71

249.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.52 ¥3.49

63.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.76 ¥18.63

138.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$7.25 ¥48.99

-23.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.40 ¥2.71

232.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.70 ¥11.48

74.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.27 ¥1.82

744.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$16.85 ¥114

171.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.20 ¥8.10

252.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.33 ¥2.22

145.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$4.28 ¥28.96

330.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.18 ¥7.96

76.27%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$18.8K ¥127.4K

83.95%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$11.0K ¥74.6K

254.82%

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

$148 €130

$34.02 ¥230

335.19%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$5.90 ¥39.87

246.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$9.68 ¥65.4

308.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$41.64 ¥281

15.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$14.12 ¥95.4

31.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$4.92 ¥33.27

87.40%

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

$616 €540

$316 ¥2,133

95.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$14.1K ¥95.1K

16.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$36.88 ¥249

178.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$38.01 ¥257

9.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$68.1 ¥460

39.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$56.1 ¥379

117.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$276 ¥1,864

491.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$187 ¥1,263

559.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$603 ¥4,077

413.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$367 ¥2,477

454.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$1,306 ¥8,825

499.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$748 ¥5,052

487.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$600 ¥4,055

167.85%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Xianyang: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $276 in Xianyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 168% 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 $17.00 in Xianyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $139 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 269% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $622 including rent). Xianyang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 168% 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 $276 in Xianyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $316 in Xianyang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $622 in Xianyang versus $2,291 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 269% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.