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: $1,638 in Portugal versus $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,407 in Portugal versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,176 in Portugal versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Portugal is roughly 130% more expensive than China on average.

Portugal (22% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Portugal: monthly costs span $1,043 to $2,441, compared to $525–$1,220 in China. City choice carries more weight in Portugal.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.80 €10.07

$2.75 ¥18.77

329.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.9 €44.24

$24.03 ¥164

115.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.28 €7.92

$4.96 ¥33.85

87.10%

Cappuccino

$2.14 €1.82

$3.12 ¥21.31

-31.41%

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

$1.97 €1.68

$0.48 ¥3.25

310.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.27 ¥1.83

407.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 €2.53

$0.98 ¥6.71

202.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 €2.92

$2.15 ¥14.65

59.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 €0.91

$1.83 ¥12.50

-42.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 €1.34

$1.68 ¥11.50

-6.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 €1.38

$0.91 ¥6.19

78.02%

Eggs

$3.14 €2.68

$1.56 ¥10.63

101.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 €10.22

$12.97 ¥88.6

-7.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.62 €6.50

$3.25 ¥22.17

134.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.38 €12.27

$10.51 ¥71.8

36.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.96

$1.81 ¥12.37

26.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.30 ¥8.87

16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 €1.54

$1.50 ¥10.23

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.14

$1.15 ¥7.85

118.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.44

$0.76 ¥5.19

122.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 €1.64

$0.89 ¥6.05

115.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.39

$0.58 ¥3.95

181.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.58 ¥3.94

39.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.34 €5.41

$3.50 ¥23.88

81.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.77 €4.92

$11.55 ¥78.9

-50.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.12

$0.78 ¥5.30

67.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.14

$1.61 ¥11.00

55.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €1.93

$0.44 ¥3.00

413.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.87 €39.98

$21.15 ¥144

121.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 €3.36

$1.36 ¥9.32

188.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 €0.86

$0.36 ¥2.44

180.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 €14.66

$6.61 ¥45.15

159.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.64

$1.13 ¥7.71

69.91%

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

$34.3K €29.3K

$19.7K ¥134.9K

73.68%

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

$39.9K €34.0K

$17.1K ¥116.7K

133.57%

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

$136 €116

$50.9 ¥348

166.43%

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

$21.19 €18.07

$10.03 ¥68.5

111.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.83 €36.53

$11.33 ¥77.4

278.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.53 €37.99

$40.13 ¥274

10.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.86 €14.38

$14.97 ¥102

12.63%

Cinema Ticket

$8.76 €7.48

$6.09 ¥41.62

43.84%

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

$508 €433

$418 ¥2,852

21.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €10.6K

$17.3K ¥117.9K

-27.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.3 €78.7

$46.40 ¥317

98.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.96 €33.23

$32.92 ¥225

18.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 €76.3

$71.1 ¥486

25.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €89.8

$72.9 ¥498

44.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €929

$438 ¥2,994

148.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 €735

$259 ¥1,770

232.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,840 €1,569

$926 ¥6,323

98.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 €1,128

$548 ¥3,743

141.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 €3,408

$5,047 ¥34.5K

-20.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,873 €2,451

$2,666 ¥18.2K

7.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,351 €1,152

$1,074 ¥7,336

25.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.83

4.06

18.97%

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

Last update for Portugal: April 28, 2026

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $936 in Portugal, $286 in China. Capital cities: $1,604 in Lisbon vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,328 in Portugal, $834 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 227% higher in Portugal.

Dining out costs 129% more in Portugal.

Public transport is 128% more expensive in Portugal.

Salaries are 59% higher in Portugal, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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 $873 per month in China and $1,742 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.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.