Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zhuhai Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zhuhai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $760 in Zhuhai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,271 in Zhuhai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $1,782 in Zhuhai.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 192% more expensive than Zhuhai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Zhuhai is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$2.78 ¥18.75

467.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$27.96 ¥189

123.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$4.75 ¥32.07

121.89%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$2.68 ¥18.10

3.36%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$0.42 ¥2.86

442.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.28 ¥1.89

453.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$1.08 ¥7.30

228.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$2.58 ¥17.42

54.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.82 ¥12.27

-40.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.69 ¥11.40

4.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.97 ¥6.53

82.47%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$1.43 ¥9.67

118.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$8.50 ¥57.4

56.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$4.06 ¥27.43

96.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$9.02 ¥61.0

76.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.41 ¥9.54

61.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.13 ¥7.63

45.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$0.96 ¥6.47

106.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.94 ¥6.38

160.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.86 ¥5.82

105.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.21 ¥8.21

62.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.53 ¥3.61

271.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.56 ¥3.80

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$2.72 ¥18.37

140.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$10.82 ¥73.1

-46.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$0.87 ¥5.90

51.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$1.82 ¥12.32

64.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$0.15 ¥1.04

1460.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

$8.30 ¥56.0

452.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$1.42 ¥9.59

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.38 ¥2.55

121.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$4.06 ¥27.45

364.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.13 ¥7.61

83.19%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$16.7K ¥112.5K

111.62%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$16.6K ¥111.9K

133.00%

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

$151 €130

$62.2 ¥420

143.17%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$8.57 ¥57.9

143.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$12.85 ¥86.8

207.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$42.42 ¥287

14.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$16.74 ¥113

11.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$5.67 ¥38.31

59.44%

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

$610 €525

$352 ¥2,380

73.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$8,218 ¥55.5K

98.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$37.81 ¥255

167.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$20.61 ¥139

96.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$69.6 ¥470

33.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$75.3 ¥509

57.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$393 ¥2,654

307.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$265 ¥1,793

366.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$852 ¥5,756

254.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$613 ¥4,143

236.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$4,455 ¥30.1K

79.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$3,113 ¥21.0K

45.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$1,057 ¥7,144

53.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.04

-5.69%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Zhuhai: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $393 in Zhuhai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 54% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $28.00 in Zhuhai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $183 per month, with Zhuhai 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 Zhuhai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zhuhai differ by about 192% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $760 including rent). Zhuhai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 54% 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $393 in Zhuhai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $352 in Zhuhai. 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 $760 in Zhuhai versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zhuhai but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zhuhai 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 Zhuhai 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 Zhuhai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 192% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.