Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zhengzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhengzhou: $661 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Zhengzhou
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Zhengzhou Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Zhengzhou

🇨🇳 China

$661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Zhengzhou

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Zhengzhou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $661 in Zhengzhou.

Lisbon $2,210
Zhengzhou $661

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $1,056 in Zhengzhou.

Lisbon $3,275
Zhengzhou $1,056

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $1,451 in Zhengzhou.

Lisbon $4,341
Zhengzhou $1,451

Living in Lisbon is roughly 234% more expensive than in Zhengzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Zhengzhou is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.95

$2.22 ¥14.76

650.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$16.32 ¥109

278.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

$4.43 ¥29.50

156.43%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.67

$2.31 ¥15.38

28.57%

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

$2.29 €2.06

$0.52 ¥3.49

340.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$0.28 ¥1.87

521.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.06

$0.91 ¥6.08

273.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$1.54 ¥10.24

114.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.55 ¥10.33

-25.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.72

$1.68 ¥11.17

13.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.03 ¥6.89

46.60%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$0.97 ¥6.49

314.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

$8.45 ¥56.2

53.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

$3.19 ¥21.20

143.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.95

$10.35 ¥68.9

71.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$1.47 ¥9.81

56.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

$1.02 ¥6.79

69.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$1.07 ¥7.12

73.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$1.22 ¥8.09

112.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$0.63 ¥4.16

188.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$0.73 ¥4.83

169.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$0.67 ¥4.43

119.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.79 ¥5.24

-8.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

$3.42 ¥22.79

92.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$14.74 ¥98.1

-61.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$0.93 ¥6.16

46.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

$2.08 ¥13.86

2.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

$0.15 ¥1.00

1453.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

$14.80 ¥98.5

201.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

$1.53 ¥10.17

151.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.31 ¥2.08

245.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

$3.57 ¥23.77

361.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$1.27 ¥8.45

73.23%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

$19.6K ¥130.3K

74.63%

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

$38.7K €34.8K

$17.2K ¥114.7K

124.67%

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

$161 €145

$71.1 ¥473

126.72%

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

$18.41 €16.54

$7.05 ¥46.89

161.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

$10.24 ¥68.2

219.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.02

$41.26 ¥275

7.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

$13.72 ¥91.3

39.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

$5.97 ¥39.76

60.80%

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

$668 €600

$388 ¥2,581

72.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$31.3K ¥208.3K

-43.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

$43.63 ¥290

133.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.94

$33.63 ¥224

32.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

$72.8 ¥484

35.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$72.1 ¥480

71.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

$201 ¥1,336

700.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

$142 ¥942

740.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,526

$574 ¥3,823

389.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,808

$333 ¥2,217

504.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

$2,830 ¥18.8K

177.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

$1,505 ¥10.0K

204.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

$920 ¥6,125

71.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.29

17.02%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Zhengzhou: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Zhengzhou

$142 21.4% 88.1% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Zhengzhou

$190 28.8% 30.2% $82

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Zhengzhou

$70 10.5% 71.3% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Zhengzhou

$88 13.4% 58.4% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Zhengzhou

$100 15.1% 39.7% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Zhengzhou

$53 8% 16.5% $11

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Zhengzhou

$18 2.8% 70.7% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $201 in Zhengzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 71% 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: $62 in Lisbon vs $16 in Zhengzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $190 per month, with Zhengzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇨🇳 Zhengzhou

🕒 Local time

01:04 1:04 AM

09:04 9:04 AM

8 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

12,600,574

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Zhengzhou 9,950 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

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Lisbon
Zhengzhou

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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 Zhengzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $661 in Zhengzhou, so Zhengzhou is about 70% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 71% 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: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $201 in Zhengzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $388 in Zhengzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $661 in Zhengzhou versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Zhengzhou but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zhengzhou 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.

Expats usually find Zhengzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.