Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Nelson Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Nelson

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,860 in Nelson.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,868 in Nelson.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,876 in Nelson.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Nelson 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$14.35 NZ$25.09

22.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$66.2 NZ$116

-5.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$8.42 NZ$14.72

37.53%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.36 NZ$5.88

-7.74%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.85 NZ$3.24

34.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.75 NZ$3.05

-0.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$7.53 NZ$13.17

-53.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$5.64 NZ$9.86

-39.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.99 NZ$3.48

-42.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$2.18 NZ$3.82

-12.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.96 NZ$3.43

-23.47%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$5.88 NZ$10.28

-32.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$9.46 NZ$16.54

40.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$7.86 NZ$13.74

1.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$14.05 NZ$24.57

28.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.09 NZ$5.41

-23.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.29 NZ$4.01

-23.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$3.10 NZ$5.41

-40.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$5.93 NZ$10.36

-57.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$2.20 NZ$3.84

-16.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.32 NZ$2.31

59.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$2.05 NZ$3.58

-27.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.05 NZ$1.84

-21.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$26.03 NZ$45.51

-72.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$9.57 NZ$16.73

-38.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$3.22 NZ$5.64

-59.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.88 NZ$5.03

-26.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$2.28 NZ$3.99

3.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.86 NZ$3.25

119.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.89 NZ$3.31

-39.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$35.26 NZ$61.6

-51.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.66 NZ$2.90

39.16%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$17.8K NZ$31.1K

92.14%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$22.5K NZ$39.3K

84.11%

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

$169 €147

$135 NZ$236

25.04%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$32.58 NZ$57.0

-40.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$39.95 NZ$69.8

-16.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$57.8 NZ$101

-15.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$34.24 NZ$59.9

-43.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$11.00 NZ$19.24

-13.00%

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

$696 €607

$461 NZ$807

50.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$13.1K NZ$22.9K

32.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$54.9 NZ$95.9

91.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$28.61 NZ$50.0

66.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$106 NZ$185

-4.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$146 NZ$254

-14.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$1,047 NZ$1,831

58.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$845 NZ$1,477

47.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,770 NZ$3,094

67.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$1,511 NZ$2,642

35.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$1,439 NZ$2,516

444.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$872 NZ$1,524

412.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$2,148 NZ$3,756

-24.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

5.39

-29.87%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Nelson: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $1,047 in Nelson. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nelson pays 32% 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 $66.0 in Nelson for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $325 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 Nelson: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Nelson differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,860 including rent). Nelson is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Nelson. 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $1,047 in Nelson. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $1,860 in Nelson – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,860 in Nelson versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nelson but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Nelson 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 Nelson 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 Nelson 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.