Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zhongshan Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zhongshan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $689 in Zhongshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,093 in Zhongshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,497 in Zhongshan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 236% more expensive than in Zhongshan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Zhongshan is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$2.94 ¥19.73

488.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$23.60 ¥158

168.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$4.55 ¥30.50

150.33%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.95 ¥19.79

8.14%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.44 ¥2.92

456.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.29 ¥1.93

506.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$0.77 ¥5.15

366.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$1.82 ¥12.17

86.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.57 ¥10.52

-21.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.70 ¥11.37

16.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.70 ¥4.69

117.14%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$1.19 ¥7.97

239.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$22.28 ¥149

-39.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$2.80 ¥18.73

199.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$13.44 ¥90.1

35.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.07 ¥13.86

10.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.06 ¥7.07

64.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$0.70 ¥4.70

165.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.40 ¥9.40

87.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.57 ¥3.83

236.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.71 ¥4.76

194.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.42 ¥2.83

242.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.53 ¥3.56

58.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$2.89 ¥19.34

134.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$12.59 ¥84.4

-54.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.68 ¥4.59

102.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.84 ¥12.34

20.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.31 ¥2.08

674.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

$14.59 ¥97.8

220.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.51 ¥10.12

176.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.41 ¥2.73

178.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$7.17 ¥48.03

146.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.20 ¥8.03

93.33%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$19.7K ¥131.9K

79.48%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$18.0K ¥120.7K

130.12%

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

$170 €147

$40.98 ¥275

315.64%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$9.96 ¥66.7

94.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$12.77 ¥85.6

163.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$66.8 ¥448

-28.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$7.29 ¥48.86

172.98%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$6.06 ¥40.58

63.70%

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

$717 €617

$314 ¥2,106

128.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$13.5K ¥90.6K

29.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$47.55 ¥319

120.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$39.80 ¥267

17.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$59.1 ¥396

74.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$74.6 ¥500

66.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$209 ¥1,397

704.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$125 ¥839

915.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$377 ¥2,525

692.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$209 ¥1,403

851.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$2,486 ¥16.7K

214.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$1,495 ¥10.0K

211.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$964 ¥6,463

64.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.4

11.47%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Zhongshan: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $209 in Zhongshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 64% 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 $24.00 in Zhongshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $231 per month, with Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zhongshan differ by about 236% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $689 including rent). Zhongshan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 64% 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 $209 in Zhongshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $314 in Zhongshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $689 in Zhongshan versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zhongshan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 236% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.