Hoi An vs Lisbon

Real cost of living, rent, internet, safety and visa terms for both cities, side by side — then open the interactive tool to weight them against your own priorities.

Hoi An, Vietnam
🇻🇳Vietnam

Hoi An

71Freedom Score#43Global rank$1,050Per month

A UNESCO lantern-lit old town between rice paddies and the river — Vietnam's most picturesque base, with 45-day visa-free and rock-bottom costs.

Lisbon, Portugal
🇵🇹Portugal

Lisbon

95Freedom Score#2Global rank$2,500Per month

Europe's most affordable capital pairs golden-hour light, Atlantic seafood, and a D8 Digital Nomad visa with surprisingly low NHR tax.

The short answer

Compare these two in the full toolBoth cities pre-loaded — add your income and priorities to get a personal match score

Cost of living

Monthly figures for one person. Rent, meals and coworking are measured values, not shares of the total budget.

ExpenseHoi AnLisbon
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,050✓$2,500
Rent, 1BR city centre$400✓$1,500
Meal, mid-range$6✓$13
Coworking deskper month$100✓$250
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper40.0✓52.9

Quality of life

Scored 0–100 on the same attributes the match engine weights, so these agree with the interactive tool.

MeasureHoi AnLisbon
Safety
82
85
Healthcare
48
80
Walkability
88
85
English spoken
35
85
Food & dining
82
80
Nightlife
45
80
Outdoors
70
72
Nomad community
58
90
Climate quality
75
80
Public transit
40
80

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureHoi AnLisbon
Freedom Score71/10095/100✓
Global rankof 100 cities#43#2✓
Internet45 Mbps200 Mbps✓
Average temperature79°F63°F
Air quality40/10070/100✓
Airport connectivity35/10080/100✓
Nomad visa45 days freeD8 visa
Headline tax rateon local income20%25%

Which should you choose?

Choose Hoi An if runs $1,450/mo cheaper, rent is $1,100/mo lower, it is more walkable and the headline tax rate is lower.

Choose Lisbon if internet is faster at 200 Mbps, it scores higher on safety (85 vs 82), English is more widely spoken and the climate scores better.

What each city is known for

Hoi An

  • UNESCO old town of lanterns and tailors
  • 45-day visa-free for Westerners
  • Among the cheapest nomad towns
  • Rice paddies and river beaches

Lisbon

  • EU residency pathway with D8 Digital Nomad visa
  • NHR tax regime: flat 20% on remote income for 10 years
  • English widely spoken — easiest EU city for anglophone nomads
  • World-class food, wine, and Atlantic beaches nearby

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Hoi An or Lisbon?
Lisbon scores higher on the Freedom Score (95/100 against 71/100), which makes it the stronger all-round base. That is an average, though — if cost, climate or community is what actually decides it for you, the tables above will point the other way as often as not.
Which is cheaper: Hoi An or Lisbon?
Hoi An is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,050 against $2,500, a difference of $1,450 a month or about $17,400 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $400/mo in Hoi An versus $1,500/mo in Lisbon.
Which is safer: Hoi An or Lisbon?
Lisbon scores higher on safety, 85/100 against 82/100. Safety scores blend crime levels, political stability and healthcare access, and they describe a city as a whole — individual neighbourhoods vary far more than the headline number suggests.
How fast is the internet in Hoi An and Lisbon?
Hoi An averages 45 Mbps and Lisbon averages 200 Mbps, so Lisbon has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Hoi An or Lisbon?
Hoi An sits in Vietnam (45 days free) and Lisbon in Portugal (D8 visa). Requirements, income floors and processing times change often, so check the visa and residency guide before you commit to either.
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Cost, connectivity and quality-of-life figures come from the YourLifeMatch city dataset. Where a value is not confirmed it reads n.a. rather than an estimate. Figures are for planning, not professional advice.