Cost of Living Comparison Between Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $652 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $2,227 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,051 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $3,305 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,450 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $4,384 in Lisbon.

Living in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu costs roughly 71% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu is 51% below, Lisbon is 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.84 ¥19.48

$16.17 €13.81

-82.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.70 ¥155

$64.6 €55.1

-64.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.81 ¥32.98

$10.38 €8.86

-53.66%

Cappuccino

$2.89 ¥19.81

$2.77 €2.37

4.33%

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

$0.42 ¥2.87

$2.25 €1.92

-81.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 ¥1.63

$1.57 €1.34

-84.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.80 ¥5.49

$3.49 €2.98

-77.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 ¥9.67

$4.00 €3.42

-64.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 ¥15.72

$1.08 €0.93

112.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ¥7.78

$1.74 €1.49

-34.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.66

$1.74 €1.48

-52.30%

Eggs

$1.47 ¥10.09

$3.18 €2.71

-53.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 ¥62.1

$13.43 €11.47

-32.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.72 ¥18.66

$7.99 €6.83

-65.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.54 ¥37.92

$16.09 €13.74

-65.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.75

$2.28 €1.95

-5.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 ¥9.82

$1.72 €1.47

-16.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ¥11.26

$1.94 €1.66

-15.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ¥7.96

$2.54 €2.17

-54.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.32

$1.83 €1.56

-49.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.99

$2.04 €1.74

-57.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 ¥5.61

$1.98 €1.69

-58.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.16

$0.85 €0.73

-28.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 ¥22.41

$6.85 €5.85

-52.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 ¥54.1

$5.78 €4.93

36.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥6.01

$1.37 €1.17

-35.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 ¥9.60

$2.90 €2.48

-51.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥2.01

$2.28 €1.95

-87.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.46 ¥113

$46.84 €40.00

-64.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 ¥10.70

$4.08 €3.48

-61.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.64

$0.82 €0.70

-53.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.49 ¥58.2

$18.27 €15.60

-53.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.80

$2.01 €1.71

-43.28%

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

$16.7K ¥114.7K

$35.3K €30.1K

-52.52%

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

$14.3K ¥98.1K

$38.5K €32.9K

-62.77%

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

$17.64 ¥121

$145 €124

-87.87%

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

$11.08 ¥75.9

$20.96 €17.90

-47.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.94 ¥74.9

$40.05 €34.21

-72.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 ¥385

$48.79 €41.66

15.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.05 ¥96.2

$18.69 €15.97

-24.83%

Cinema Ticket

$5.41 ¥37.06

$9.06 €7.74

-40.29%

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

$275 ¥1,881

$607 €518

-54.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K ¥113.1K

$16.3K €13.9K

1.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.05 ¥281

$105 €89.4

-60.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 ¥229

$40.95 €34.97

-18.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.8 ¥389

$93.6 €79.9

-39.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.7 ¥388

$119 €101

-52.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 ¥1,923

$1,604 €1,370

-82.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 ¥1,309

$1,236 €1,055

-84.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 ¥4,058

$3,046 €2,601

-80.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 ¥2,439

$2,057 €1,756

-82.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,884 ¥19.8K

$7,709 €6,583

-62.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,980 ¥13.6K

$4,266 €3,644

-53.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,353

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.87

3.81

1.57%

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

Last update for Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: April 25, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $271 per month, with Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu and Lisbon differ by about 242% in total monthly costs ($652 vs $2,227 including rent). Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $978 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu and $3,341 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $281 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $275 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $607 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $652 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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, Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 242% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.