Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Masterton Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Masterton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,511 in Masterton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,446 in Masterton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,381 in Masterton.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 46% more expensive than Masterton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Masterton 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$9.85 NZ$16.78

61.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$90.9 NZ$155

-28.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$9.20 NZ$15.67

14.24%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.20 NZ$5.45

-10.31%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.13 NZ$3.62

5.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.65 NZ$2.81

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$3.72 NZ$6.34

-6.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.27 NZ$7.26

-9.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.48 NZ$2.52

-22.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.62 NZ$2.76

8.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.16 NZ$1.98

51.72%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$6.29 NZ$10.72

-48.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$7.06 NZ$12.02

91.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$9.00 NZ$15.33

-12.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$12.42 NZ$21.16

27.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.84 NZ$3.13

25.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.88 NZ$3.20

-9.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.51 NZ$4.27

-19.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.41 NZ$5.81

-27.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.44 NZ$2.46

27.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.17 NZ$1.99

70.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.85 NZ$3.15

4.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.90 NZ$1.54

-12.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$20.45 NZ$34.82

-67.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$11.94 NZ$20.34

-52.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.25 NZ$3.83

-39.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.68 NZ$4.57

10.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.37 NZ$4.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$63.2 NZ$108

-27.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.47 NZ$4.21

73.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.85 NZ$3.14

-55.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$41.43 NZ$70.6

-55.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.61 NZ$2.74

27.95%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$24.4K NZ$41.5K

40.60%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$23.2K NZ$39.5K

69.49%

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

$148 €127

$80.3 NZ$137

84.08%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$32.14 NZ$54.7

-36.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$48.89 NZ$83.3

-18.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$41.50 NZ$70.7

15.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$8.87 NZ$15.11

113.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$8.18 NZ$13.92

12.22%

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

$614 €529

$407 NZ$693

50.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$4,895 NZ$8,336

227.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$68.9 NZ$117

51.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$29.90 NZ$50.9

40.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$105 NZ$179

-10.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$114 NZ$195

4.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$785 NZ$1,337

107.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$597 NZ$1,017

110.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,238 NZ$2,109

144.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$1,098 NZ$1,870

84.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$2,518 NZ$4,289

-36.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.69

-43.05%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Masterton: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $785 in Masterton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Masterton 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $91.0 in Masterton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $277 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 Masterton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Masterton differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,511 including rent). Masterton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Masterton earns 57% 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 $785 in Masterton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $407 in Masterton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,511 in Masterton versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Masterton but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Masterton 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 Masterton 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 Masterton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.