Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zhenjiang Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zhenjiang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $707 in Zhenjiang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,194 in Zhenjiang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,681 in Zhenjiang.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 228% more expensive than in Zhenjiang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Zhenjiang is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$3.03 ¥20.29

470.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$29.72 ¥199

112.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$4.36 ¥29.25

161.24%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.62 ¥17.55

21.76%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.56 ¥3.73

337.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.33 ¥2.23

433.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.17 ¥7.86

206.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.34 ¥15.68

44.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.83 ¥12.29

-32.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.46 ¥9.75

35.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.92 ¥6.18

65.22%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$1.62 ¥10.87

149.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$14.37 ¥96.3

-5.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$2.92 ¥19.55

187.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$13.20 ¥88.5

38.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.80 ¥12.09

27.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.80 ¥12.09

-3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.80 ¥12.10

3.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.73 ¥11.61

52.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.86 ¥5.78

123.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.99 ¥6.61

111.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.47 ¥3.12

206.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.60 ¥4.05

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$4.47 ¥29.96

51.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$10.99 ¥73.6

-48.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.88 ¥5.92

56.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.56 ¥10.43

42.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.16 ¥1.06

1400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

$7.35 ¥49.26

536.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.51 ¥10.12

176.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.47 ¥3.15

142.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$4.50 ¥30.17

292.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.24 ¥8.34

87.10%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$17.8K ¥119.4K

98.37%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$18.1K ¥121.5K

128.62%

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

$170 €147

$63.0 ¥422

170.54%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$8.50 ¥57.0

127.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$7.39 ¥49.51

355.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$43.75 ¥293

9.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$29.27 ¥196

-32.01%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$9.10 ¥61.0

9.01%

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

$717 €617

$452 ¥3,028

58.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$27.2K ¥182.4K

-35.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$44.72 ¥300

134.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$29.83 ¥200

57.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$66.4 ¥445

55.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$82.7 ¥554

49.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$223 ¥1,492

652.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$147 ¥983

766.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$515 ¥3,451

479.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$366 ¥2,454

444.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$1,995 ¥13.4K

292.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$882 ¥5,913

427.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$978 ¥6,554

61.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.35

13.13%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Zhenjiang: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $223 in Zhenjiang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 62% 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 $30.00 in Zhenjiang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $219 per month, with Zhenjiang 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 Zhenjiang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zhenjiang differ by about 228% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $707 including rent). Zhenjiang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 62% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $223 in Zhenjiang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $452 in Zhenjiang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $707 in Zhenjiang versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zhenjiang but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zhenjiang 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 Zhenjiang 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 Zhenjiang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 228% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.