Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Avarua

For one person, living is cheaper in Avarua: $1,638 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Avarua

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Avarua

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Avarua actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $1,638 in Avarua, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Avarua $1,638

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $1,652 in Avarua, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Avarua $1,652

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $1,666 in Avarua, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Avarua $1,666

Lisbon costs about 35% more than Avarua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lisbon and Avarua sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Avarua by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.95

$11.47 NZ$20.45

45.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$57.6 NZ$103

7.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

$8.47 NZ$15.09

34.12%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.67

$3.16 NZ$5.64

-6.01%

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

$2.29 €2.06

$2.24 NZ$3.99

2.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.30 NZ$4.10

-24.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.06

$5.61 NZ$10.00

-39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$4.20 NZ$7.48

-21.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.66 NZ$2.96

-30.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.72

$3.33 NZ$5.93

-42.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.68 NZ$2.99

-10.12%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$4.76 NZ$8.49

-15.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

$11.58 NZ$20.64

11.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

$7.88 NZ$14.05

-1.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.95

$10.39 NZ$18.52

70.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$2.81 NZ$5.01

-18.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

$1.68 NZ$3.00

2.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$3.50 NZ$6.24

-46.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$9.14 NZ$16.28

-71.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$2.82 NZ$5.02

-35.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$2.21 NZ$3.93

-10.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.23 NZ$3.98

-34.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$2.91 NZ$5.19

-75.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$14.24 NZ$25.38

-60.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

$4.18 NZ$7.45

-48.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

$2.82 NZ$5.03

-17.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$2.19 NZ$3.90

0.46%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

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

$38.7K €34.8K

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

$161 €145

$112 NZ$199

44.11%

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

$18.41 €16.54

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.02

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

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

$668 €600

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.94

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

$968 NZ$1,725

66.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

$947 NZ$1,687

25.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,526

$115 NZ$205

2348.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,808

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

$944 NZ$1,683

384.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Avarua: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Avarua

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Avarua

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Avarua

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Avarua

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Avarua

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Avarua

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Avarua

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $968 in Avarua. 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 $62 in Lisbon versus $58 in Avarua. Groceries tell a different story – $272 in Lisbon vs $358 in Avarua – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇨🇰 Avarua

🕒 Local time

15:10 3:10 PM

05:10 5:10 AM

10 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

5,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Avarua 16,610 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Avarua

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Avarua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 35% more than Avarua, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $2,457 in Avarua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Avarua, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $968 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,638 in Avarua. That’s a gap of about 35%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 24% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Avarua, where all-in costs run around $1,638, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Avarua 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 $1,638 in Avarua to $2,210 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.