Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Hamilton Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Hamilton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,850 in Hamilton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $2,919 in Hamilton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $3,988 in Hamilton.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$13.94 NZ$24.02

12.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$84.0 NZ$145

-24.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$8.97 NZ$15.46

16.50%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$3.54 NZ$6.09

-17.80%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.37 NZ$4.08

-3.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.94 NZ$5.06

-48.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$6.84 NZ$11.79

-47.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$6.24 NZ$10.75

-36.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.61 NZ$2.77

-32.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.32 NZ$2.28

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.93 NZ$3.33

-11.92%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$5.95 NZ$10.26

-45.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$5.81 NZ$10.00

128.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$8.14 NZ$14.03

-5.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$10.86 NZ$18.72

45.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.75 NZ$4.74

-17.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$2.89 NZ$4.97

-42.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$3.09 NZ$5.32

-34.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$6.52 NZ$11.23

-62.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$2.23 NZ$3.84

-19.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$2.02 NZ$3.48

2.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$2.59 NZ$4.46

-23.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$1.06 NZ$1.83

-21.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$25.43 NZ$43.81

-74.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$10.90 NZ$18.79

-48.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$3.43 NZ$5.91

-61.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$4.44 NZ$7.65

-32.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$1.62 NZ$2.78

40.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$48.05 NZ$82.8

-3.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$4.25 NZ$7.32

-0.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.95 NZ$3.36

-56.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$42.19 NZ$72.7

-55.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.72 NZ$2.97

17.44%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$23.5K NZ$40.5K

48.79%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$23.1K NZ$39.7K

71.85%

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

$148 €129

$92.1 NZ$159

60.67%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$39.33 NZ$67.8

-47.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$53.2 NZ$91.6

-25.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$31.88 NZ$54.9

51.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$16.96 NZ$29.23

8.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$13.36 NZ$23.01

-31.89%

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

$615 €536

$847 NZ$1,459

-27.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$18.1K NZ$31.2K

-10.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$63.0 NZ$108

61.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$40.53 NZ$69.8

3.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$87.2 NZ$150

5.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$117 NZ$202

3.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$985 NZ$1,697

63.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$851 NZ$1,467

47.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$1,244 NZ$2,144

146.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$1,591 NZ$2,741

28.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$4,119 NZ$7,097

88.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$4,634 NZ$7,985

-7.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$2,718 NZ$4,684

-41.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.83

-44.22%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $985 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 70% 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 $84.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $309 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 Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 70% lower in Hamilton. 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $985 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamilton – a meal for two runs $84.0 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $1,850 in Hamilton – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,850 in Hamilton versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Hamilton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hamilton is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Hamilton 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 Hamilton 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.