Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,930 in Dunedin versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,859 in Dunedin versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,787 in Dunedin versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Dunedin costs roughly 17% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dunedin 40% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.02 NZ$25.66

$17.30 €14.93

-13.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.0 NZ$109

$63.3 €54.6

1.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 NZ$20.34

$11.39 €9.83

4.48%

Cappuccino

$3.39 NZ$5.79

$3.19 €2.75

6.27%

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

$2.21 NZ$3.78

$2.45 €2.11

-9.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 NZ$3.68

$1.76 €1.52

22.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.24 NZ$12.37

$3.59 €3.10

101.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 NZ$11.34

$3.39 €2.93

95.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 NZ$3.80

$1.24 €1.07

79.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 NZ$3.44

$1.98 €1.71

1.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 NZ$3.05

$1.52 €1.31

17.11%

Eggs

$5.96 NZ$10.18

$4.04 €3.49

47.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.00 NZ$15.38

$13.54 €11.68

-33.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.78 NZ$16.70

$8.39 €7.24

16.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 NZ$29.78

$18.25 €15.75

-4.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 NZ$5.23

$2.29 €1.98

33.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 NZ$4.07

$1.74 €1.50

36.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 NZ$5.84

$1.86 €1.60

83.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.32 NZ$9.09

$2.63 €2.27

102.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 NZ$3.41

$1.92 €1.65

4.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 NZ$3.30

$2.09 €1.81

-7.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 NZ$4.29

$1.44 €1.24

74.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 NZ$1.01

$0.84 €0.73

-29.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.07 NZ$37.71

$6.78 €5.85

225.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.64 NZ$16.47

$5.71 €4.93

68.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 NZ$5.63

$1.38 €1.19

139.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 NZ$2.14

$2.22 €1.91

-43.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 NZ$2.07

$2.40 €2.07

-49.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.7 NZ$121

$46.78 €40.37

51.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 NZ$10.15

$4.17 €3.60

42.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.41 NZ$50.3

$17.68 €15.26

66.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 NZ$3.03

$2.32 €2.01

-23.71%

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

$26.2K NZ$44.7K

$35.3K €30.5K

-25.97%

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

$26.3K NZ$44.9K

$41.4K €35.8K

-36.65%

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

$116 NZ$198

$170 €147

-32.04%

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

$29.62 NZ$50.6

$19.34 €16.69

53.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 NZ$91.8

$33.64 €29.03

59.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 NZ$86.7

$48.10 €41.50

5.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

Cinema Ticket

$10.66 NZ$18.21

$9.92 €8.56

7.46%

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

$616 NZ$1,052

$717 €619

-14.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 NZ$106

$105 €90.4

-40.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.56 NZ$64.2

$46.95 €40.51

-20.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 NZ$163

$103 €89.2

-7.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 NZ$245

$124 €107

15.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 NZ$1,554

$1,677 €1,447

-45.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$804 NZ$1,374

$1,271 €1,097

-36.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 NZ$2,698

$2,985 €2,575

-47.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 NZ$2,082

$1,992 €1,719

-38.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,753

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,313 NZ$3,952

$4,658 €4,019

-50.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,574 NZ$4,397

$1,583 €1,366

62.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

3.79

86.54%

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

Last update for Dunedin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $910 in Dunedin and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dunedin pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Dunedin vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $283 per month, with Lisbon 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

Dunedin vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dunedin and Lisbon differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,930 vs $2,316 including rent). Dunedin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 63% higher in Dunedin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $910 in Dunedin versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dunedin runs roughly 51% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $616 in Dunedin versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,930 in Dunedin versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dunedin but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Dunedin 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, Dunedin 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 Dunedin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.