Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ashburton Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ashburton

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,296 per month in Lisbon vs $1,929 in Ashburton, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,376 per month in Lisbon vs $2,945 in Ashburton, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,457 per month in Lisbon vs $3,962 in Ashburton, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 19% more than Ashburton, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Lisbon and Ashburton sit above the global median – Lisbon by 68%, Ashburton by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$14.25 NZ$24.90

23.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$70.5 NZ$123

-10.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$9.51 NZ$16.62

21.77%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.40 NZ$5.94

-8.82%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.38 NZ$4.16

4.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.91 NZ$3.34

-8.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$7.03 NZ$12.28

-50.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$6.78 NZ$11.86

-49.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.78 NZ$3.12

-35.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.93 NZ$3.38

-1.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.50 NZ$2.62

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$6.13 NZ$10.72

-35.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$7.72 NZ$13.49

72.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$9.74 NZ$17.03

-17.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$14.04 NZ$24.55

28.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.58 NZ$4.51

-8.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.95 NZ$3.42

-10.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.71 NZ$4.75

-31.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$3.25 NZ$5.68

-21.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.61 NZ$2.81

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.52 NZ$2.66

38.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$2.23 NZ$3.90

-33.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.36 NZ$2.38

-39.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$24.71 NZ$43.20

-71.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$8.89 NZ$15.54

-33.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$3.52 NZ$6.15

-62.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$4.44 NZ$7.77

-52.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.49 NZ$2.61

58.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$78.2 NZ$137

-40.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$2.58 NZ$4.51

58.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.71 NZ$2.99

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$29.33 NZ$51.3

-41.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.93 NZ$3.37

19.69%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$26.4K NZ$46.2K

29.20%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$25.0K NZ$43.7K

65.62%

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

$169 €147

$166 NZ$290

1.58%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$23.82 NZ$41.64

-18.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$46.09 NZ$80.6

-27.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$37.79 NZ$66.1

29.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$11.49 NZ$20.08

-16.71%

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

$696 €607

$683 NZ$1,193

1.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$22.5K NZ$39.3K

-22.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$59.8 NZ$105

76.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$40.64 NZ$71.1

17.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$104 NZ$182

-3.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$125 NZ$219

-0.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$1,002 NZ$1,751

65.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$942 NZ$1,646

32.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,494 NZ$2,611

98.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$1,527 NZ$2,669

34.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$5,215 NZ$9,116

50.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$3,892 NZ$6,805

14.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

5.91

-36.04%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Ashburton: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,662 in Lisbon versus $1,002 in Ashburton. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Lisbon versus $71.0 in Ashburton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $311 – 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

Lisbon vs Ashburton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon, $1,929 in Ashburton – roughly 19% apart. Lisbon costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,444 per month in Lisbon and $2,894 in Ashburton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Lisbon and $71.0 in Ashburton. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Ashburton, where all-in costs run around $1,929, than in Lisbon at $2,296. In Ashburton it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,929 in Ashburton to $2,296 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Ashburton. 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.