Cost of Living Comparison Between Portugal and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Portugal and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,694 in Portugal versus $718 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,488 in Portugal versus $1,146 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,282 in Portugal versus $1,574 in China.

Living in Portugal is roughly 136% more expensive than in China on average.

Portugal (24% above) and China (48% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Portugal: monthly costs span $1,068 to $2,322, compared to $466–$1,226 in China. City choice carries more weight in Portugal.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 €12.01

$2.93 ¥19.65

379.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 €44.49

$21.85 ¥147

138.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 €8.51

$5.04 ¥33.83

97.42%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.85

$3.02 ¥20.28

-28.15%

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

$1.97 €1.68

$0.47 ¥3.18

319.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.19

$0.28 ¥1.85

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 €2.52

$1.07 ¥7.17

175.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €2.93

$2.27 ¥15.25

51.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.94

$1.80 ¥12.10

-39.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.70 ¥11.41

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 €1.38

$0.97 ¥6.48

65.98%

Eggs

$3.42 €2.93

$1.61 ¥10.81

112.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 €9.98

$13.00 ¥87.3

-10.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €6.76

$3.39 ¥22.77

133.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.47 €13.23

$11.32 ¥76.0

36.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 €1.93

$1.78 ¥11.97

26.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 €1.32

$1.25 ¥8.37

23.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.47 ¥9.89

23.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.11

$1.29 ¥8.69

91.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$0.79 ¥5.28

116.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 €1.68

$0.86 ¥5.79

127.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.32

$0.64 ¥4.32

142.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.59 ¥3.95

33.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.38 €5.46

$3.80 ¥25.50

67.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.76 €4.92

$11.90 ¥79.9

-51.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.10

$0.85 ¥5.69

51.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.70 ¥11.42

39.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €1.94

$0.29 ¥1.93

679.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.45 €39.74

$22.27 ¥150

108.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 €3.45

$1.47 ¥9.86

174.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.94

$0.37 ¥2.50

197.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.69 €15.13

$7.02 ¥47.12

151.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.81

$1.26 ¥8.47

68.25%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$19.0K ¥127.5K

85.69%

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

$39.5K €33.8K

$17.0K ¥114.3K

132.32%

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

$138 €118

$55.3 ¥371

150.41%

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

$20.73 €17.73

$8.77 ¥58.9

136.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.00 €35.93

$10.78 ¥72.4

289.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.75 €37.43

$39.49 ¥265

10.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.32 €13.96

$14.61 ¥98.1

11.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 €8.11

$6.72 ¥45.15

41.07%

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

$521 €446

$447 ¥3,002

16.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K €10.2K

$19.7K ¥132.4K

-39.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 €77.1

$43.69 ¥293

106.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.66 €35.64

$34.93 ¥235

19.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 €79.1

$77.0 ¥517

20.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €91.4

$77.2 ¥518

38.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 €922

$384 ¥2,579

180.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$843 €721

$231 ¥1,549

265.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 €1,553

$824 ¥5,534

120.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,138

$472 ¥3,169

182.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,092 €3,501

$4,687 ¥31.5K

-12.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,884 €2,467

$2,343 ¥15.7K

23.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,352 €1,156

$1,082 ¥7,269

24.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.77

3.47

8.65%

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

Last update for Portugal: August 15, 2026

Last update for China: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $986 in Portugal, $290 in China. Capital cities: $1,708 in Lisbon vs $953 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,324 in Portugal, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 240% higher in Portugal.

Dining out costs 138% more in Portugal.

Public transport is 124% more expensive in Portugal.

Salaries are 54% higher in Portugal, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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

Portugal vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $846 per month in China and $1,695 in Portugal, there's a 100% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Portugal is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Portugal it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Portugal may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.