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: $2,340 in Lisbon versus $824 in Zhuhai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,391 in Lisbon versus $1,351 in Zhuhai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,443 in Lisbon versus $1,879 in Zhuhai.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 184% more expensive than in Zhuhai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 73% above, Zhuhai is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.29 €15.00

$2.61 ¥17.62

562.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 €55.2

$29.85 ¥201

113.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.18

$5.04 ¥34.00

132.94%

Cappuccino

$3.17 €2.75

$3.14 ¥21.20

0.96%

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

$2.45 €2.12

$0.46 ¥3.14

432.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.43

$0.31 ¥2.06

432.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €3.01

$1.21 ¥8.16

186.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.07

$1.73 ¥11.68

104.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.05

$1.64 ¥11.07

-26.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.54 ¥10.39

31.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.33

$1.08 ¥7.29

41.67%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.46

$1.77 ¥11.94

125.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 €11.25

$4.30 ¥29.02

201.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.44 €7.32

$3.47 ¥23.42

143.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.11 €14.84

$6.90 ¥46.50

147.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.37 ¥9.22

65.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$0.72 ¥4.86

143.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$0.77 ¥5.17

149.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.21

$1.19 ¥8.04

114.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 €1.65

$0.85 ¥5.71

124.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$0.88 ¥5.91

120.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$0.53 ¥3.55

177.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.58 ¥3.93

46.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.90 €5.98

$3.03 ¥20.42

127.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 €5.14

$10.58 ¥71.3

-43.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.98 ¥6.62

39.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.91

$1.85 ¥12.45

18.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €1.96

$0.17 ¥1.15

1229.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.02 €39.92

$8.78 ¥59.2

424.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.57

$1.50 ¥10.10

174.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.96

$0.38 ¥2.54

192.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.54 €15.22

$7.06 ¥47.57

148.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.91

$1.23 ¥8.26

78.86%

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

$35.0K €30.4K

$15.8K ¥106.8K

121.20%

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

$40.9K €35.5K

$16.1K ¥108.4K

154.52%

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

$169 €147

$55.5 ¥374

204.27%

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

$19.22 €16.68

$9.11 ¥61.4

110.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.18

$11.42 ¥77.0

194.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.93 €42.45

$81.5 ¥550

-39.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.61 €17.01

$30.84 ¥208

-36.41%

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 €8.71

$7.50 ¥50.6

33.87%

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

$699 €606

$476 ¥3,208

46.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K €15.3K

$4,471 ¥30.1K

295.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €94.7

$37.41 ¥252

191.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.04 €39.94

$29.35 ¥198

56.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €92.8

$65.4 ¥441

63.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €114

$87.5 ¥590

49.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 €1,486

$424 ¥2,856

304.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 €1,094

$278 ¥1,877

353.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,529

$916 ¥6,179

218.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,074 €1,799

$650 ¥4,383

219.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,789 €6,757

$4,494 ¥30.3K

73.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,339 €3,764

$3,165 ¥21.3K

37.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,645 €1,427

$1,062 ¥7,159

54.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.72

3.4

9.41%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 1, 2026

Last update for Zhuhai: August 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,713 in Lisbon and $424 in Zhuhai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 55% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $30.00 in Zhuhai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $158 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 184% in total monthly costs ($2,340 vs $824 including rent). Zhuhai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 55% 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: $1,713 in Lisbon versus $424 in Zhuhai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $476 in Zhuhai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $824 in Zhuhai versus $2,340 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 184% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.