Cost of Living Comparison Between Lake Macquarie and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Lake Macquarie and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,285 per month in Lake Macquarie vs $2,296 in Lisbon, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,628 per month in Lake Macquarie vs $3,376 in Lisbon, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,971 per month in Lake Macquarie vs $4,457 in Lisbon, rent included.

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

Both Lake Macquarie and Lisbon sit above the global median – Lake Macquarie by 67%, Lisbon by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.40 A$20.23

$17.59 €15.31

-18.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.3 A$123

$62.9 €54.7

38.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 A$15.06

$11.58 €10.08

-7.43%

Cappuccino

$3.61 A$5.06

$3.10 €2.70

16.45%

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

$2.59 A$3.64

$2.49 €2.17

4.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.07

$1.74 €1.52

25.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 A$10.31

$3.48 €3.03

110.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 A$10.05

$3.44 €3.00

107.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.69

$1.15 €1.00

5.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 A$2.11

$1.91 €1.66

-21.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 A$1.88

$1.50 €1.31

-10.67%

Eggs

$3.60 A$5.06

$3.98 €3.47

-9.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.94 A$11.14

$13.29 €11.57

-40.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 A$9.59

$8.01 €6.97

-14.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 A$18.19

$18.04 €15.70

-28.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.35

$2.35 €2.05

31.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 A$3.72

$1.75 €1.52

51.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.55

$1.85 €1.61

113.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 A$6.51

$2.55 €2.22

81.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 A$3.12

$1.84 €1.60

20.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 A$2.67

$2.10 €1.83

-9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 A$2.11

$1.49 €1.29

0.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 A$1.80

$0.82 €0.71

56.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.92 A$43.42

$7.10 €6.18

335.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 A$11.31

$5.91 €5.14

36.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 A$4.11

$1.31 €1.14

123.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 A$3.39

$2.13 €1.86

13.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.19 A$4.48

$2.36 €2.05

35.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.8 A$121

$46.62 €40.57

84.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 A$2.88

$4.08 €3.55

-49.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.16 A$4.44

$1.14 €0.99

177.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.3 A$83.3

$17.09 €14.88

247.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 A$1.80

$2.31 €2.01

-44.59%

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

$29.0K A$40.7K

$34.1K €29.7K

-15.11%

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

$26.3K A$36.9K

$41.4K €36.0K

-36.53%

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

$245 A$343

$169 €147

45.13%

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

$11.56 A$16.23

$19.33 €16.83

-40.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.55 A$64.0

$33.51 €29.17

35.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 A$80.8

$48.84 €42.51

17.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 A$25.94

$19.43 €16.92

-4.94%

Cinema Ticket

$10.24 A$14.39

$9.57 €8.33

7.00%

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

$1,591 A$2,233

$696 €606

128.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K A$15.7K

$17.4K €15.1K

-35.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 A$99.0

$105 €91.7

-33.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.99 A$51.9

$47.75 €41.56

-22.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 A$120

$101 €87.5

-15.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$156

$124 €108

-10.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 A$1,992

$1,662 €1,446

-14.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 A$1,505

$1,246 €1,085

-13.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,260 A$3,174

$2,965 €2,580

-23.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 A$3,241

$2,049 €1,783

12.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,503 A$9,132

$7,834 €6,819

-16.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,793 A$8,134

$4,464 €3,886

29.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,125 A$7,196

$1,632 €1,420

214.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.35

3.78

15.08%

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

Last update for Lake Macquarie: September 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,419 in Lake Macquarie versus $1,662 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 214% higher in Lake Macquarie. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in Lake Macquarie versus $63.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $281 vs $277 – 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

Lake Macquarie vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,428 per month in Lake Macquarie and $3,444 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in Lake Macquarie and $63.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 84% less in Lake Macquarie. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Lake Macquarie, where all-in costs run around $2,285, than in Lisbon at $2,296. In Lake Macquarie it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lake Macquarie – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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