Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,175 in Taichung versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,977 in Taichung versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,779 in Taichung versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Taichung costs roughly 47% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taichung is 12% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.17 NT$163

$15.91 €13.69

-67.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.14 NT$949

$64.8 €55.7

-53.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 NT$172

$10.51 €9.04

-47.86%

Cappuccino

$3.03 NT$95.5

$2.87 €2.47

5.57%

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

$1.16 NT$36.61

$2.24 €1.93

-48.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 NT$27.02

$1.50 €1.29

-42.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 NT$68.9

$3.49 €3.00

-37.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 NT$92.4

$3.88 €3.34

-24.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.86 NT$122

$1.14 €0.98

238.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 NT$54.9

$1.75 €1.51

-0.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 NT$88.7

$1.76 €1.51

60.23%

Eggs

$3.27 NT$103

$3.22 €2.77

1.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.67 NT$997

$13.49 €11.61

134.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 NT$260

$7.91 €6.81

4.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 NT$506

$15.87 €13.65

1.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 NT$146

$2.31 €1.99

100.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 NT$55.5

$1.70 €1.46

3.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 NT$71.0

$2.01 €1.73

12.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 NT$93.6

$2.46 €2.12

20.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 NT$40.12

$1.84 €1.59

-30.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NT$62.1

$2.00 €1.72

-1.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 NT$74.3

$1.93 €1.66

22.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 NT$40.95

$0.79 €0.68

64.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 NT$125

$6.61 €5.68

-40.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 NT$511

$5.72 €4.92

183.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 NT$53.8

$1.37 €1.17

24.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NT$83.7

$2.97 €2.56

-10.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 NT$29.57

$2.37 €2.04

-60.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.86 NT$908

$45.56 €39.19

-36.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 NT$92.1

$4.29 €3.69

-31.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 NT$38.97

$0.82 €0.70

51.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.25 NT$323

$18.30 €15.74

-43.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 NT$33.02

$2.06 €1.78

-49.03%

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

$34.5K NT$1.1M

$34.3K €29.5K

0.77%

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

$26.0K NT$816.9K

$39.3K €33.8K

-33.95%

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

$96.6 NT$3,042

$148 €127

-34.65%

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

$24.51 NT$771

$20.52 €17.65

19.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.07 NT$695

$39.61 €34.08

-44.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.44 NT$1,147

$47.85 €41.16

-23.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.09 NT$318

$18.92 €16.28

-46.67%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 NT$331

$9.18 €7.90

14.60%

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

$355 NT$11.2K

$614 €528

-42.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K NT$656.8K

$16.0K €13.8K

30.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 NT$2,646

$105 €90.0

-19.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.06 NT$1,072

$42.06 €36.18

-19.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 NT$3,049

$94.0 €80.8

3.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 NT$4,092

$120 €103

8.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 NT$11.9K

$1,628 €1,400

-76.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 NT$9,184

$1,255 €1,080

-76.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 NT$33.2K

$3,030 €2,607

-65.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 NT$23.0K

$2,020 €1,738

-63.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,297 NT$229.7K

$7,800 €6,709

-6.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,260 NT$165.6K

$4,273 €3,675

23.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,420 NT$44.7K

$1,603 €1,379

-11.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

3.81

-42.78%

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

Last update for Taichung: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $379 in Taichung and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 13% 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: $30.00 in Taichung vs $65.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $402 vs $269, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Taichung vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taichung and Lisbon differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($1,175 vs $2,210 including rent). Taichung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 13% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $379 in Taichung versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $355 in Taichung versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 49% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,175 in Taichung versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taichung but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Taichung 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, Taichung 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 Taichung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.