Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dunedin Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dunedin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,857 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,803 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,748 in Dunedin.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 23% more expensive than in Dunedin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Dunedin 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.15

$11.97 NZ$20.48

35.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.3

$71.7 NZ$123

-11.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.02

$11.05 NZ$18.91

-6.61%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.47

$3.46 NZ$5.92

-18.21%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.20 NZ$3.77

4.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.04 NZ$3.50

-22.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$7.21 NZ$12.33

-52.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$5.86 NZ$10.03

-31.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$2.07 NZ$3.55

-47.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.99 NZ$3.41

-12.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.88 NZ$3.22

-6.38%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$5.71 NZ$9.77

-44.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.53

$8.44 NZ$14.45

56.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.96

$10.71 NZ$18.32

-25.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.57

$13.14 NZ$22.48

18.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.90 NZ$4.96

-18.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.24 NZ$3.84

-23.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$3.44 NZ$5.88

-41.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$4.47 NZ$7.65

-45.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.98 NZ$3.39

-11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.98 NZ$3.39

2.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.54 NZ$4.34

-24.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.10 NZ$1.89

-22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.75

$24.44 NZ$41.81

-73.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.87

$8.76 NZ$14.98

-36.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$2.58 NZ$4.41

-48.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.66 NZ$6.26

-18.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.20 NZ$2.05

90.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

$72.9 NZ$125

-37.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$6.10 NZ$10.44

-30.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.13 NZ$1.94

-28.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

$30.14 NZ$51.6

-38.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.65 NZ$2.82

26.06%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$19.7K NZ$33.6K

76.28%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$25.2K NZ$43.2K

55.13%

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

$148 €129

$102 NZ$175

44.75%

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

$20.46 €17.88

$36.07 NZ$61.7

-43.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.56

$54.4 NZ$93.1

-27.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$52.1 NZ$89.1

-7.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

$6.20 NZ$10.61

200.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.06

$9.56 NZ$16.36

-3.56%

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

$616 €538

$584 NZ$999

5.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$12.0K NZ$20.5K

37.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$66.7 NZ$114

54.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

$35.81 NZ$61.3

16.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

$96.8 NZ$166

-2.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$122 NZ$209

-0.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,426

$895 NZ$1,532

82.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,077

$776 NZ$1,327

58.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,707

$1,524 NZ$2,607

103.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,775

$1,307 NZ$2,237

55.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

$2,229 NZ$3,813

96.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

$2,522 NZ$4,315

-36.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.07

-46.11%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $895 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dunedin pays 57% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $72.0 in Dunedin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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 Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Dunedin differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,857 including rent). Dunedin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Dunedin. 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 $895 in Dunedin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dunedin runs roughly 59% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $584 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,857 in Dunedin versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dunedin but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Dunedin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Dunedin 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 Dunedin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.