Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Canterbury, New Zealand

For one person, living is cheaper in Canterbury: $915 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Canterbury
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Canterbury Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Canterbury

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Canterbury

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 Canterbury actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $915 in Canterbury, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Canterbury $915

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $1,521 in Canterbury, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Canterbury $1,521

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $2,127 in Canterbury, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Canterbury $2,127

Lisbon costs about 142% more than Canterbury, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Lisbon sits 62% above the global median, while Canterbury is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$13.95 NZ$24.79

19.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$63.7 NZ$113

-3.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$11.52 NZ$20.48

-1.39%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$3.06 NZ$5.45

-2.94%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.07 NZ$3.68

10.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.11 NZ$3.75

-17.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$3.94 NZ$7.01

-13.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$6.09 NZ$10.83

-45.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$2.22 NZ$3.94

-47.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.93 NZ$3.43

-1.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.69 NZ$3.01

-10.65%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$5.53 NZ$9.84

-27.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$8.34 NZ$14.83

55.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$9.17 NZ$16.30

-15.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$16.50 NZ$29.34

7.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.91 NZ$5.17

-20.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.21 NZ$3.93

-21.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$3.30 NZ$5.86

-43.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$5.19 NZ$9.23

-50.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.85 NZ$3.29

-1.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.87 NZ$3.32

5.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.33 NZ$4.14

-36.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.59 NZ$1.06

22.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$21.06 NZ$37.43

-68.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$9.26 NZ$16.46

-39.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$3.21 NZ$5.71

-57.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.20 NZ$2.13

78.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$5.73 NZ$10.19

-32.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$28.19 NZ$50.1

-41.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.60 NZ$2.85

37.50%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$28.5K NZ$50.7K

19.98%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$23.3K NZ$41.4K

66.43%

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

$161 €144

$113 NZ$201

42.58%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$29.09 NZ$51.7

-36.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$51.7 NZ$91.9

-36.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$11.46 NZ$20.37

-16.23%

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

$668 €598

$590 NZ$1,049

13.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$59.9 NZ$107

70.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$22.35 NZ$39.73

98.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$91.2 NZ$162

7.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$139 NZ$247

-11.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$898 NZ$1,597

79.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$2,733 NZ$4,859

-42.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

-3.75%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Canterbury: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Canterbury

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Canterbury

$320 35% 17.7% $48

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Canterbury

$232 25.3% 4.6% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Canterbury

$194 21.2% 8.7% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Canterbury

$141 15.4% 15.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Canterbury

$23 * 2.5% 64% $41

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Canterbury

$5.7 * 0.6% 90.9% $57

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $898 in Canterbury. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 74% higher in Canterbury, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $64 in Canterbury. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $320 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇳🇿 Canterbury

🕒 Local time

01:59 1:59 AM

14:59 2:59 PM

13 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 NZD = 0.563 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Canterbury 19,410 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Canterbury

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 Canterbury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon, $915 in Canterbury – Canterbury comes out roughly 59% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $1,373 in Canterbury. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Canterbury, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $898 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $64 in Canterbury. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Canterbury, where all-in costs run around $915, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Canterbury it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Canterbury – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.