For one person, living is cheaper in Zibo: $723 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Zibo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $723 in Zibo.
Lisbon $2,210
Zibo $723
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $1,150 in Zibo.
Lisbon $3,275
Zibo $1,150
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $1,578 in Zibo.
Lisbon $4,341
Zibo $1,578
🌍
Living in Lisbon is roughly 206% more expensive than in Zibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Zibo is 47% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Zibo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65€14.92
$4.26¥28.29
290.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7€55.3
$24.28¥161
154.28%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.36€10.18
$6.15¥40.84
84.72%
Cappuccino
$2.97€2.66
$4.04¥26.83
-26.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29€2.05
$0.47¥3.12
387.23%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74€1.56
$0.26¥1.72
569.23%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.40€3.05
$0.94¥6.26
261.70%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31€2.97
$1.69¥11.25
95.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Zibo
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.16€1.04
$1.43¥9.51
-18.88%
White Bread(500g)
$1.91€1.71
$0.72¥4.78
165.28%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.51€1.36
$0.93¥6.18
62.37%
Eggs
$4.02€3.60
$1.25¥8.33
221.60%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.94€11.59
$14.73¥97.9
-12.15%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$7.77€6.97
$2.16¥14.37
259.72%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$17.76€15.92
$5.84¥38.83
204.11%
Apples(1kg)
$2.30€2.06
$1.22¥8.09
88.52%
Banana(1kg)
$1.73€1.55
$0.92¥6.08
88.04%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.86€1.66
$1.02¥6.81
82.35%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.59€2.32
$0.87¥5.79
197.70%
Potato(1kg)
$1.82€1.63
$0.47¥3.10
287.23%
Onion(1kg)
$1.97€1.76
$0.94¥6.22
109.57%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.47€1.32
$0.43¥2.85
241.86%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72€0.65
$0.62¥4.13
16.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58€5.90
$5.21¥34.64
26.30%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.61€5.02
$13.61¥90.5
-58.78%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36€1.22
$0.72¥4.80
88.89%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14€1.91
$1.47¥9.79
45.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Zibo
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.33€2.09
$0.29¥1.91
703.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$44.68€40.04
$18.21¥121
145.36%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.85€3.45
$1.23¥8.16
213.01%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.07€0.96
$0.38¥2.56
181.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$16.46€14.75
$6.37¥42.34
158.40%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.20€1.97
$1.10¥7.32
100.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K€30.6K
$19.8K¥131.3K
73.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K€34.7K
$14.8K¥98.3K
161.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Zibo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$161€144
$93.0¥618
73.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41€16.50
$6.31¥41.93
191.76%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74€29.34
$5.82¥38.68
462.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Zibo
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$44.55€39.92
$39.13¥260
13.85%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10€17.11
$15.52¥103
23.07%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60€8.60
$7.64¥50.8
25.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Zibo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$668€598
$177¥1,173
278.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$17.6K€15.8K
$17.9K¥119.1K
-1.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Zibo
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102€91.4
$30.19¥201
237.93%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46€39.85
$22.10¥147
101.18%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$98.5€88.3
$75.3¥500
30.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124€111
$88.2¥586
40.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Zibo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,608€1,441
$285¥1,894
464.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,190€1,066
$162¥1,079
633.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,812€2,520
$635¥4,220
342.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,013€1,804
$359¥2,383
461.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$7,839€7,025
$3,534¥23.5K
121.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,576€4,100
$2,158¥14.3K
112.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Zibo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,575€1,411
$749¥4,978
110.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.85
3.54
8.76%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026
Last update for Zibo: October 25, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K 53.8%
Zibo
$162 22.5% ↓ 86.4%$1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272 12.3%
Zibo
$169 23.4% ↓ 37.9%$103
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$243 11%
Zibo
$112 15.5% ↓ 53.8%$131
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212 9.6%
Zibo
$105 14.6% ↓ 50.5%$107
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166 7.5%
Zibo
$97 13.4% ↓ 41.5%$69
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64 2.9%
Zibo
$54 7.5% ↓ 14.6%$9.3
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$63 2.9%
Zibo
$23 3.1% ↓ 64.4%$41
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$2K 46.4%
Zibo
$359 22.7% ↓ 82.2%$1.7K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$649 15%
Zibo
$378 23.9% ↓ 41.8%$272
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$801 18.5%
Zibo
$344 21.8% ↓ 57%$457
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$231 5.3%
Zibo
$111 7.1% ↓ 51.7%$119
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$369 8.5%
Zibo
$216 13.7% ↓ 41.5%$153
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$147 3.4%
Zibo
$124 7.9% ↓ 15.2%$22
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$131 3%
Zibo
$46 2.9% ↓ 65.2%$85
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $285 in Zibo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lisbon pays about 2.1 times 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 in Lisbon vs $24 in Zibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $169 per month, with Zibo cheaper across the board.
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
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 Zibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Zibo?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $723 in Zibo, so Zibo is about 67% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Zibo?
Average pay in Lisbon is about 2.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Zibo?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $285 in Zibo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Zibo?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $177 in Zibo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $723 in Zibo versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zibo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zibo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Zibo?
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.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Zibo?
Expats usually find Zibo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.