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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $642 in Zhongshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $996 in Zhongshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,350 in Zhongshan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 257% more expensive than in Zhongshan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Zhongshan is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$2.80 ¥18.92

478.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$16.98 ¥115

272.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$4.27 ¥28.89

141.69%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.80 ¥18.89

1.07%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.40 ¥2.72

472.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.27 ¥1.81

485.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$0.73 ¥4.90

365.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$1.69 ¥11.43

138.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.77 ¥11.94

-38.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.80 ¥12.17

-2.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.97 ¥6.56

81.44%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.56 ¥10.54

103.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$12.87 ¥87.0

2.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$2.59 ¥17.53

207.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$12.62 ¥85.3

23.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.83 ¥12.35

29.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.94 ¥6.36

81.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$0.60 ¥4.06

235.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.38 ¥9.30

76.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.50 ¥3.40

252.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.73 ¥4.96

178.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.36 ¥2.44

433.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.51 ¥3.48

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.86 ¥19.32

130.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$12.36 ¥83.6

-54.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.65 ¥4.38

104.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.93 ¥13.03

53.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.29 ¥1.96

686.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$13.82 ¥93.4

231.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.28 ¥8.62

230.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.37 ¥2.52

118.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$7.01 ¥47.39

163.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.13 ¥7.65

84.07%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$22.8K ¥154.1K

52.01%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$20.3K ¥137.2K

92.80%

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

$148 €130

$38.39 ¥259

285.65%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$8.49 ¥57.4

140.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$11.88 ¥80.3

233.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$63.6 ¥430

-24.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$6.98 ¥47.20

166.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$5.71 ¥38.59

61.47%

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

$616 €540

$298 ¥2,014

106.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$12.5K ¥84.4K

31.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$44.38 ¥300

131.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$30.38 ¥205

37.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$56.6 ¥382

67.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$69.3 ¥468

76.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$196 ¥1,323

733.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$119 ¥806

933.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$349 ¥2,359

787.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$200 ¥1,354

914.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$2,411 ¥16.3K

224.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,457 ¥9,846

201.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$948 ¥6,409

69.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.83

-0.52%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Zhongshan: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $196 in Zhongshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 69% 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 Zhongshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $202 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 257% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $642 including rent). Zhongshan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 69% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $196 in Zhongshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $298 in Zhongshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $642 in Zhongshan versus $2,291 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 257% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.