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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,807 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,801 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,796 in Dunedin.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 22% more expensive than Dunedin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Dunedin 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$12.23 NZ$20.83

30.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$73.0 NZ$124

-11.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$10.87 NZ$18.51

-3.31%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.45 NZ$5.87

-16.81%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.18 NZ$3.70

2.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.00 NZ$3.41

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$7.20 NZ$12.26

-51.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$5.97 NZ$10.16

-35.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.07 NZ$3.52

-44.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.92 NZ$3.27

-8.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.87 NZ$3.19

-5.88%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$5.73 NZ$9.75

-43.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$8.07 NZ$13.74

67.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$10.84 NZ$18.46

-27.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$13.17 NZ$22.42

20.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.93 NZ$4.98

-21.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.25 NZ$3.84

-24.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.43 NZ$5.83

-41.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$4.45 NZ$7.57

-44.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.98 NZ$3.37

-7.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.02 NZ$3.44

-0.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.56 NZ$4.37

-24.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.08 NZ$1.83

-26.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$23.76 NZ$40.46

-72.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$9.41 NZ$16.02

-39.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.55 NZ$4.35

-46.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.66 NZ$6.24

-18.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.23 NZ$2.10

92.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$73.6 NZ$125

-38.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$6.14 NZ$10.45

-30.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.15 NZ$1.96

-28.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$29.78 NZ$50.7

-38.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.66 NZ$2.83

24.10%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$20.0K NZ$34.0K

71.56%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$25.4K NZ$43.2K

54.76%

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

$148 €127

$102 NZ$174

44.63%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$35.87 NZ$61.1

-42.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$54.3 NZ$92.5

-27.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$52.2 NZ$88.9

-8.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$6.13 NZ$10.45

208.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$9.67 NZ$16.47

-5.07%

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

$614 €529

$575 NZ$979

6.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$11.9K NZ$20.3K

34.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$67.2 NZ$115

55.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$35.51 NZ$60.5

18.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$94.2 NZ$160

-0.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$121 NZ$207

-1.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$884 NZ$1,506

84.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$757 NZ$1,289

65.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,481 NZ$2,523

104.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$1,332 NZ$2,269

51.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$3,023 NZ$5,148

158.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$2,045 NZ$3,482

108.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$2,611 NZ$4,447

-38.59%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $884 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dunedin pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $73.0 in Dunedin 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 Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Dunedin differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,807 including rent). Dunedin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Dunedin earns 63% 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 $884 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 62% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $575 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,807 in Dunedin versus $2,210 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 22% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.