Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Auckland Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Auckland

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,302 in Auckland.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $3,464 in Auckland.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $4,626 in Auckland.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 4% less than in Auckland, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Auckland 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$14.83 NZ$25.26

7.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$77.6 NZ$132

-16.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$9.55 NZ$16.27

10.05%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.50 NZ$5.97

-18.00%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.28 NZ$3.88

-1.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.27 NZ$3.87

-33.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$7.42 NZ$12.63

-52.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$7.06 NZ$12.03

-45.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.80 NZ$3.07

-36.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.10 NZ$3.58

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.99 NZ$3.39

-11.56%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$6.74 NZ$11.48

-52.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$8.44 NZ$14.38

59.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$9.82 NZ$16.73

-19.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$12.92 NZ$22.01

22.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.91 NZ$4.96

-20.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.22 NZ$3.79

-23.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.22 NZ$5.49

-37.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$4.11 NZ$7.00

-40.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.09 NZ$3.55

-11.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.63 NZ$2.78

22.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.90 NZ$3.24

1.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.29 NZ$2.19

-38.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$25.66 NZ$43.70

-74.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$9.98 NZ$17.00

-42.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.94 NZ$5.01

-53.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.98 NZ$6.79

-25.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.75 NZ$4.68

-13.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$131 NZ$223

-65.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.09 NZ$3.56

105.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.95 NZ$3.32

-57.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$35.65 NZ$60.7

-48.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.69 NZ$2.88

21.89%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$28.4K NZ$48.3K

20.81%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$22.2K NZ$37.8K

77.06%

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

$148 €127

$146 NZ$249

1.20%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$30.66 NZ$52.2

-33.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$48.24 NZ$82.2

-17.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$36.08 NZ$61.5

32.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$16.60 NZ$28.28

13.98%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$15.28 NZ$26.02

-39.92%

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

$614 €529

$922 NZ$1,571

-33.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$13.6K NZ$23.2K

17.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$70.8 NZ$121

47.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$49.43 NZ$84.2

-14.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$96.7 NZ$165

-2.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$124 NZ$211

-3.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$1,264 NZ$2,154

28.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$1,158 NZ$1,972

8.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$2,413 NZ$4,110

25.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$1,862 NZ$3,171

8.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$8,096 NZ$13.8K

-3.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$5,456 NZ$9,293

-21.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$3,260 NZ$5,553

-50.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.37

-40.19%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Auckland: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,264 in Auckland. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auckland pays 103% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $78.0 in Auckland for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $324 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

Lisbon vs Auckland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Auckland. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Auckland earns 103% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $1,264 in Auckland. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $922 in Auckland. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Auckland. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,302 in Auckland, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Auckland. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,210 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Auckland 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.