Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,032 in Shenzhen versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,649 in Shenzhen versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,266 in Shenzhen versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Shenzhen costs roughly 55% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shenzhen is 23% below, Lisbon is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.13 ¥21.17

$16.19 €14.15

-80.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.60 ¥187

$63.3 €55.3

-56.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.87 ¥32.97

$10.32 €9.02

-52.81%

Cappuccino

$3.32 ¥22.46

$2.83 €2.47

17.31%

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

$0.48 ¥3.27

$2.29 €2.00

-79.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$1.58 €1.38

-82.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.22

$3.40 €2.97

-64.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ¥18.76

$4.03 €3.52

-31.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.83

$1.09 €0.95

60.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 ¥13.33

$1.75 €1.53

12.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.97

$1.76 €1.54

-32.95%

Eggs

$1.92 ¥12.96

$3.17 €2.77

-39.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.69 ¥85.9

$13.19 €11.53

-3.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.93 ¥26.61

$7.97 €6.96

-50.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.38 ¥90.6

$15.53 €13.57

-13.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ¥12.63

$2.37 €2.07

-21.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.90

$1.71 €1.49

-14.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.29

$2.01 €1.75

-9.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 ¥9.44

$2.43 €2.12

-42.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.40

$1.76 €1.54

-38.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.61

$2.03 €1.78

-30.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.05

$1.92 €1.68

-60.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.85

$0.85 €0.74

-32.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ¥22.94

$6.58 €5.75

-48.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.61 ¥85.4

$5.58 €4.87

125.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥6.27

$1.33 €1.16

-30.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ¥12.87

$2.97 €2.60

-36.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.98

$2.28 €1.99

-80.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.23 ¥150

$45.79 €40.01

-51.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 ¥11.40

$4.23 €3.69

-60.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.54

$0.81 €0.71

-54.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.75 ¥45.65

$18.44 €16.11

-63.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.72

$2.08 €1.82

-45.19%

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

$22.7K ¥153.7K

$34.7K €30.3K

-34.51%

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

$20.7K ¥140.0K

$39.2K €34.2K

-47.19%

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

$65.3 ¥442

$148 €129

-55.87%

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

$8.39 ¥56.8

$20.46 €17.88

-58.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.08 ¥88.5

$39.56 €34.56

-66.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ¥345

$47.99 €41.93

6.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.60 ¥119

$18.60 €16.25

-5.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.08 ¥47.89

$9.22 €8.06

-23.21%

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

$467 ¥3,159

$616 €538

-24.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K ¥140.0K

$16.4K €14.4K

25.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.53 ¥328

$103 €89.7

-52.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.27 ¥205

$41.74 €36.47

-27.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 ¥506

$94.8 €82.8

-21.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.3 ¥537

$122 €107

-35.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 ¥4,953

$1,633 €1,426

-55.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 ¥2,777

$1,232 €1,077

-66.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 ¥11.5K

$3,098 €2,707

-45.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 ¥6,157

$2,031 €1,775

-55.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.9K ¥87.4K

$7,831 €6,842

64.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,000 ¥40.6K

$4,389 €3,835

36.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,720 ¥11.6K

$1,607 €1,404

7.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

3.81

6.04%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $732 in Shenzhen and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $28.00 in Shenzhen vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $267 per month, with Shenzhen 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

Shenzhen vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shenzhen and Lisbon differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($1,032 vs $2,291 including rent). Shenzhen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Shenzhen, 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: $732 in Shenzhen versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $467 in Shenzhen versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,032 in Shenzhen versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shenzhen but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Shenzhen 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, Shenzhen and Lisbon 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 Shenzhen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.