Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zhengzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zhengzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $695 in Zhengzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,098 in Zhengzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,501 in Zhengzhou.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 226% more expensive than in Zhengzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Zhengzhou is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$2.21 ¥14.78

694.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$16.07 ¥108

301.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$4.42 ¥29.62

163.57%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.50 ¥16.78

30.40%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.53 ¥3.56

369.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.26 ¥1.74

542.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$0.93 ¥6.21

273.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$1.65 ¥11.07

116.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.72 ¥11.54

-31.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.68 ¥11.23

16.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$0.86 ¥5.76

81.40%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$0.89 ¥5.98

350.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$8.49 ¥56.8

56.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$3.28 ¥21.99

156.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$10.59 ¥70.9

72.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.47 ¥9.81

57.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$0.99 ¥6.65

74.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.09 ¥7.31

77.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.23 ¥8.21

114.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.65 ¥4.36

192.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.68 ¥4.58

210.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.67 ¥4.51

114.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.76 ¥5.10

5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.34 ¥22.34

109.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$15.08 ¥101

-60.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$0.94 ¥6.29

44.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.01 ¥13.45

6.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.14 ¥0.93

1600.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$14.51 ¥97.2

218.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.52 ¥10.15

175.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.29 ¥1.92

279.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$3.60 ¥24.08

379.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.24 ¥8.33

81.45%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$19.3K ¥129.6K

78.18%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$17.1K ¥114.4K

143.59%

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

$171 €147

$69.0 ¥462

147.80%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$7.22 ¥48.36

163.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$10.53 ¥70.5

225.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$41.78 ¥280

18.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$13.44 ¥90.0

45.16%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$6.08 ¥40.71

66.12%

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

$699 €603

$307 ¥2,054

127.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$22.8K ¥152.7K

-22.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$53.2 ¥356

96.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$31.48 ¥211

52.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$72.2 ¥484

41.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$71.9 ¥481

78.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$208 ¥1,395

697.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$164 ¥1,096

650.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$567 ¥3,798

414.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$361 ¥2,417

460.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$2,976 ¥19.9K

173.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,540 ¥10.3K

201.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$903 ¥6,048

79.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.29

14.89%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Zhengzhou: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $208 in Zhengzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 79% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $16.00 in Zhengzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $192 per month, with Zhengzhou 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 Zhengzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zhengzhou differ by about 226% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $695 including rent). Zhengzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 79% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $208 in Zhengzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $307 in Zhengzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $695 in Zhengzhou versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 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.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Zhengzhou 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 Zhengzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 226% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.