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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $725 in Zhengzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,130 in Zhengzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,535 in Zhengzhou.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 212% more expensive than Zhengzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Zhengzhou is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$2.05 ¥13.87

677.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$16.65 ¥113

280.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$4.15 ¥28.05

150.12%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.55 ¥17.22

9.41%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$0.45 ¥3.06

420.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.24 ¥1.62

554.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$0.86 ¥5.82

298.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$1.69 ¥11.40

131.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.52 ¥10.27

-28.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.48 ¥10.01

19.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$0.83 ¥5.61

106.02%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$0.98 ¥6.64

221.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$14.05 ¥95.0

-2.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$2.16 ¥14.61

270.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$11.35 ¥76.8

36.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.14 ¥7.68

100.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.03 ¥7.00

59.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$0.84 ¥5.66

130.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.05 ¥7.13

139.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.54 ¥3.66

231.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.55 ¥3.70

265.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.47 ¥3.19

319.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.65 ¥4.38

29.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$2.98 ¥20.16

127.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$14.60 ¥98.8

-61.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.72 ¥4.88

93.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.90 ¥12.82

58.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.14 ¥0.98

1521.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$13.49 ¥91.2

236.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.42 ¥9.61

202.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.26 ¥1.73

226.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$3.35 ¥22.67

445.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.14 ¥7.71

74.56%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$18.9K ¥127.8K

85.36%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$16.8K ¥113.7K

135.21%

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

$146 €126

$71.0 ¥480

105.77%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$9.07 ¥61.4

125.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$10.35 ¥70.0

276.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$91.2 ¥617

-46.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$9.45 ¥63.9

99.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$5.31 ¥35.93

79.28%

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

$608 €524

$251 ¥1,694

142.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$19.3K ¥130.4K

-14.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$45.92 ¥311

126.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$33.37 ¥226

26.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$75.1 ¥508

22.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$66.3 ¥448

81.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$197 ¥1,331

724.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$137 ¥927

824.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$451 ¥3,053

575.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$302 ¥2,045

564.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$2,980 ¥20.1K

157.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$1,558 ¥10.5K

177.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$900 ¥6,087

76.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.86

-21.60%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Zhengzhou: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $197 in Zhengzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 76% 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 Zhengzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $194 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 212% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $725 including rent). Zhengzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 76% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $197 in Zhengzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $251 in Zhengzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $725 in Zhengzhou versus $2,263 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 212% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.