Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairns and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairns and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,298 per month in Cairns vs $2,291 in Lisbon, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,379 per month in Cairns vs $3,322 in Lisbon, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,460 per month in Cairns vs $4,354 in Lisbon, rent included.

Cairns and Lisbon have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Cairns and Lisbon sit above the global median – Cairns by 72%, Lisbon by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 A$16.71

$16.19 €14.15

-27.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.5 A$115

$63.3 €55.3

27.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.67 A$15.28

$10.32 €9.02

3.39%

Cappuccino

$3.88 A$5.55

$2.83 €2.47

37.10%

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

$2.88 A$4.12

$2.29 €2.00

25.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.22

$1.58 €1.38

42.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.38 A$9.14

$3.40 €2.97

87.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 A$10.45

$4.03 €3.52

81.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 A$2.35

$1.09 €0.95

50.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 A$3.43

$1.75 €1.53

37.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.97

$1.76 €1.54

57.39%

Eggs

$4.09 A$5.85

$3.17 €2.77

29.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.03 A$11.50

$13.19 €11.53

-39.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$13.05

$7.97 €6.96

14.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.54 A$17.95

$15.53 €13.57

-19.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 A$4.22

$2.37 €2.07

24.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.26

$1.71 €1.49

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.81

$2.01 €1.75

32.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.05 A$10.09

$2.43 €2.12

190.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 A$3.17

$1.76 €1.54

25.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.20

$2.03 €1.78

10.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 A$3.26

$1.92 €1.68

18.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 A$4.13

$0.85 €0.74

240.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.51 A$42.26

$6.58 €5.75

348.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.88 A$18.45

$5.58 €4.87

130.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 A$4.63

$1.33 €1.16

142.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 A$5.18

$2.97 €2.60

21.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 A$4.71

$2.28 €1.99

44.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.4 A$93.6

$45.79 €40.01

42.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 A$9.50

$4.23 €3.69

56.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.13 A$4.47

$0.81 €0.71

286.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.87 A$48.49

$18.44 €16.11

83.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 A$1.57

$2.08 €1.82

-47.12%

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

$22.6K A$32.3K

$34.7K €30.3K

-34.86%

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

$19.6K A$28.1K

$39.2K €34.2K

-49.86%

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

$153 A$218

$148 €129

3.01%

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

$37.28 A$53.4

$20.46 €17.88

82.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.5 A$86.6

$39.56 €34.56

52.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.42 A$55.0

$47.99 €41.93

-19.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.78 A$22.59

$18.60 €16.25

-15.16%

Cinema Ticket

$13.13 A$18.80

$9.22 €8.06

42.41%

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

$1,636 A$2,342

$616 €538

165.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K A$17.2K

$16.4K €14.4K

-27.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.4 A$122

$103 €89.7

-16.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.8 A$95.7

$41.74 €36.47

60.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 A$142

$94.8 €82.8

4.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 A$193

$122 €107

10.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 A$1,768

$1,633 €1,426

-24.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 A$1,563

$1,232 €1,077

-11.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,041 A$2,922

$3,098 €2,707

-34.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 A$2,677

$2,031 €1,775

-7.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,338 A$9,074

$7,831 €6,842

-19.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,904 A$7,021

$4,389 €3,835

11.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,324 A$6,191

$1,607 €1,404

169.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.96

3.81

82.68%

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

Last update for Cairns: July 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,235 in Cairns versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 169% higher in Cairns. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Cairns versus $63.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $353 vs $267 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Cairns vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,447 per month in Cairns and $3,437 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Cairns, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Kindergarten costs $1,636 per month in Cairns and $616 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,291, than in Cairns at $2,298. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cairns it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lisbon costs $2,291 versus $2,298 in Cairns. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cairns makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.