Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhongshan and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhongshan: $695 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Zhongshan
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Zhongshan Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Zhongshan

🇨🇳 China

$695

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zhongshan and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Zhongshan and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $695 in Zhongshan versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

Zhongshan $695
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,110 in Zhongshan versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

Zhongshan $1,110
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,525 in Zhongshan versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Zhongshan $1,525
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Zhongshan costs roughly 68% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zhongshan is 49% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.01 ¥20.14

$17.04 €15.15

-82.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.23 ¥162

$62.3 €55.4

-61.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.45 ¥29.76

$11.02 €9.80

-59.62%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ¥18.91

$3.12 €2.78

-9.29%

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

$0.47 ¥3.11

$2.27 €2.02

-79.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$1.74 €1.55

-83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.13

$3.42 €3.04

-77.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.05

$3.74 €3.33

-51.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 ¥10.26

$1.17 €1.04

30.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥10.99

$1.86 €1.66

-11.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.56

$1.54 €1.37

-55.84%

Eggs

$1.24 ¥8.29

$4.06 €3.61

-69.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.87 ¥140

$12.91 €11.49

61.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.80 ¥18.72

$7.90 €7.03

-64.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.54 ¥90.5

$17.64 €15.69

-23.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ¥14.34

$2.26 €2.01

-5.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$1.75 €1.55

-38.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.56

$1.89 €1.68

-64.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.76

$2.56 €2.27

-42.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$1.85 €1.64

-68.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.84

$1.97 €1.75

-63.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ¥2.86

$1.45 €1.29

-70.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.56

$0.77 €0.69

-31.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 ¥19.58

$6.71 €5.97

-56.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 ¥78.9

$5.67 €5.04

108.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ¥4.62

$1.37 €1.22

-49.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.12

$2.11 €1.88

-14.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$2.32 €2.07

-87.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.11 ¥101

$44.43 €39.52

-65.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.68

$3.95 €3.51

-63.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$1.05 €0.93

-60.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.01 ¥46.88

$17.15 €15.26

-59.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.70

$2.19 €1.95

-40.64%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$33.8K €30.0K

-41.90%

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

$18.2K ¥121.6K

$38.3K €34.0K

-52.46%

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

$40.99 ¥274

$164 €146

-74.98%

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

$10.15 ¥67.9

$18.48 €16.43

-45.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.59 ¥84.2

$32.96 €29.32

-61.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.0 ¥448

$45.87 €40.80

46.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.62 ¥50.9

$18.68 €16.61

-59.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.81 ¥38.88

$9.75 €8.67

-40.41%

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

$317 ¥2,117

$684 €608

-53.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K ¥89.4K

$17.6K €15.7K

-24.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.42 ¥324

$104 €92.3

-53.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 ¥265

$46.20 €41.09

-14.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.9 ¥401

$99.7 €88.7

-39.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.5 ¥505

$125 €111

-39.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$210 ¥1,407

$1,589 €1,414

-86.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$125 ¥834

$1,169 €1,040

-89.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 ¥2,517

$2,851 €2,536

-86.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 ¥1,453

$1,993 €1,773

-89.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,531 ¥16.9K

$7,793 €6,932

-67.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,509 ¥10.1K

$4,418 €3,930

-65.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$956 ¥6,391

$1,600 €1,423

-40.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.85

-12.99%

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

Last update for Zhongshan: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Zhongshan

$226 32.5%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 20.9% $47

Accommodation & Living

Zhongshan

$125 17.9%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 837% $1K

Clothing & Footwear

Zhongshan

$101 14.5%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 67.5% $68

Eating Out

Zhongshan

$82 11.8%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 203% $166

Sport & Entertainment

Zhongshan

$79 11.3%

Lisbon

$65 3% 16.9% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhongshan

$64 9.2%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 238% $152

Getting Around

Zhongshan

$20 2.8%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 218% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $210 in Zhongshan and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 67% 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: $24.00 in Zhongshan vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $273 per month, with Zhongshan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhongshan

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

08:18 8:18 AM

01:18 1:18 AM

7 h behind Zhongshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,209,600

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Zhongshan Lisbon 10,950 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhongshan
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Zhongshan vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhongshan and Lisbon differ by about 217% in total monthly costs ($695 vs $2,202 including rent). Zhongshan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 67% lower in Lisbon. 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: $210 in Zhongshan versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $317 in Zhongshan versus $684 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $695 in Zhongshan versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zhongshan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zhongshan 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, Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 217% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.