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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,291 per month in Lisbon vs $1,876 in Ashburton, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,322 per month in Lisbon vs $2,921 in Ashburton, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,354 per month in Lisbon vs $3,965 in Ashburton, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 22% more than Ashburton, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Lisbon and Ashburton sit above the global median – Lisbon by 71%, Ashburton by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$16.77 NZ$28.72

-3.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$73.8 NZ$126

-14.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$9.86 NZ$16.89

4.67%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.47 NZ$5.95

-18.44%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.35 NZ$4.02

-2.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.98 NZ$3.38

-20.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$7.10 NZ$12.16

-52.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$7.42 NZ$12.70

-45.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.90 NZ$3.25

-42.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.92 NZ$3.29

-8.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.73 NZ$2.96

1.73%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$6.49 NZ$11.11

-51.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$8.21 NZ$14.06

60.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$9.12 NZ$15.62

-12.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$12.72 NZ$21.77

22.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.18 NZ$5.44

-25.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.11 NZ$3.61

-18.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.03 NZ$5.18

-33.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$3.23 NZ$5.53

-24.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.07 NZ$3.54

-14.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.25 NZ$3.84

-9.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$3.05 NZ$5.22

-37.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.40 NZ$2.40

-39.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$24.39 NZ$41.77

-73.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$8.51 NZ$14.56

-34.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$3.76 NZ$6.44

-64.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$4.78 NZ$8.19

-37.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.05 NZ$3.51

11.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$65.4 NZ$112

-29.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.79 NZ$4.78

51.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.70 NZ$2.90

-52.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$30.00 NZ$51.4

-38.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.72 NZ$2.94

20.93%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$27.6K NZ$47.2K

25.82%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$20.0K NZ$34.3K

95.58%

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

$148 €130

$117 NZ$201

26.20%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$31.27 NZ$53.5

-34.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$54.1 NZ$92.7

-26.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$36.42 NZ$62.4

31.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$12.21 NZ$20.91

52.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$10.90 NZ$18.67

-15.41%

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

$616 €539

$639 NZ$1,094

-3.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$9,344 NZ$16.0K

75.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$30.19 NZ$51.7

240.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$42.44 NZ$72.7

-1.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$92.5 NZ$158

2.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$152 NZ$259

-19.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$976 NZ$1,670

67.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$778 NZ$1,331

58.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,597 NZ$2,734

94.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$1,412 NZ$2,417

43.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$4,139 NZ$7,088

89.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$3,773 NZ$6,461

16.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.74

-43.47%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Ashburton: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,633 in Lisbon versus $976 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 $74.0 in Ashburton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $321 – 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: $2,291 in Lisbon, $1,876 in Ashburton – roughly 22% apart. Lisbon costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,437 per month in Lisbon and $2,814 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 20% 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 $74.0 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 $1,876, than in Lisbon at $2,291. 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 $1,876 in Ashburton to $2,291 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.