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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,292 in Auckland.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $3,473 in Auckland.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $4,654 in Auckland.

Monthly costs are close between Lisbon and Auckland; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Auckland 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$15.06 NZ$25.72

7.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$79.7 NZ$136

-20.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$9.72 NZ$16.61

6.17%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.39 NZ$5.79

-16.52%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$2.38 NZ$4.06

-3.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.27 NZ$3.88

-30.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$7.43 NZ$12.70

-54.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$7.07 NZ$12.08

-43.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.83 NZ$3.13

-40.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.03 NZ$3.47

-13.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.01 NZ$3.43

-12.44%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$7.00 NZ$11.96

-54.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$8.56 NZ$14.62

54.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$9.54 NZ$16.30

-16.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$12.97 NZ$22.16

19.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.94 NZ$5.02

-19.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.22 NZ$3.80

-22.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.36 NZ$5.74

-40.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$4.07 NZ$6.94

-40.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.97 NZ$3.37

-10.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.70 NZ$2.91

19.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.96 NZ$3.35

-2.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.29 NZ$2.21

-34.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$25.48 NZ$43.52

-74.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$10.54 NZ$18.01

-47.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$3.04 NZ$5.19

-56.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.79 NZ$6.48

-21.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.82 NZ$4.82

-19.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$128 NZ$218

-64.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.06 NZ$3.53

105.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.91 NZ$3.26

-57.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$34.79 NZ$59.4

-47.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.62 NZ$2.77

28.40%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$27.9K NZ$47.6K

24.30%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$21.8K NZ$37.2K

79.87%

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

$148 €130

$143 NZ$244

3.76%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$30.50 NZ$52.1

-32.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$48.87 NZ$83.5

-19.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$35.25 NZ$60.2

36.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$16.51 NZ$28.20

12.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$14.79 NZ$25.27

-37.66%

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

$616 €540

$921 NZ$1,573

-33.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$13.5K NZ$23.0K

22.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$69.8 NZ$119

47.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$49.44 NZ$84.5

-15.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$97.8 NZ$167

-3.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$127 NZ$217

-3.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$1,264 NZ$2,159

29.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$1,119 NZ$1,912

10.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$2,411 NZ$4,119

28.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$1,830 NZ$3,127

11.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$7,873 NZ$13.4K

-0.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$5,349 NZ$9,138

-17.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$3,087 NZ$5,273

-47.93%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Auckland: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $1,264 in Auckland. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auckland pays 92% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $80.0 in Auckland for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $325 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

On paper, salaries run 92% lower in Auckland. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $1,264 in Auckland. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $921 in Auckland. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $80.0 in Auckland. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,292 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 $2,291 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.

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Auckland on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.