Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and New Plymouth Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and New Plymouth

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,843 in New Plymouth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,815 in New Plymouth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,788 in New Plymouth.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 24% more expensive than in New Plymouth, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, New Plymouth 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$14.90 NZ$25.45

8.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$76.9 NZ$131

-17.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$10.63 NZ$18.16

-2.92%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.64 NZ$6.22

-22.25%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$2.26 NZ$3.87

1.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.04 NZ$3.49

-22.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$5.40 NZ$9.22

-37.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$7.28 NZ$12.43

-44.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$2.00 NZ$3.41

-45.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.53 NZ$2.61

14.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.75 NZ$2.99

0.57%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$6.17 NZ$10.54

-48.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$7.65 NZ$13.06

72.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$13.42 NZ$22.93

-40.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$13.11 NZ$22.39

18.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.12 NZ$3.62

11.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.97 NZ$3.36

-13.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.25 NZ$5.54

-38.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$6.78 NZ$11.59

-64.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.57 NZ$4.39

-31.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.66 NZ$2.84

22.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.96 NZ$3.35

-2.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.37 NZ$2.34

-37.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$20.80 NZ$35.53

-68.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$8.65 NZ$14.78

-35.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$3.75 NZ$6.40

-64.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$4.35 NZ$7.43

-31.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.76 NZ$3.00

29.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$64.7 NZ$110

-29.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.77 NZ$3.02

138.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$3.29 NZ$5.61

-75.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$36.90 NZ$63.0

-50.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.71 NZ$2.92

21.64%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$47.9K NZ$81.9K

-27.69%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$23.9K NZ$40.8K

64.07%

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

$148 €130

$213 NZ$364

-30.50%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$30.35 NZ$51.9

-32.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$30.24 NZ$51.7

30.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$36.10 NZ$61.7

32.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$12.12 NZ$20.71

53.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$10.91 NZ$18.64

-15.49%

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

$616 €540

$735 NZ$1,256

-16.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$11.9K NZ$20.3K

38.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$91.7 NZ$157

11.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$36.52 NZ$62.4

14.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$73.1 NZ$125

29.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$67.2 NZ$115

81.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$715 NZ$1,222

128.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$669 NZ$1,142

84.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,361 NZ$2,325

127.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$1,179 NZ$2,013

72.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$3,292 NZ$5,624

137.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$2,646 NZ$4,521

65.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$2,862 NZ$4,890

-43.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.93

-35.75%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for New Plymouth: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $715 in New Plymouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Plymouth pays 78% 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 $77.0 in New Plymouth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $346 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 New Plymouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and New Plymouth differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,843 including rent). New Plymouth is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 78% lower in New Plymouth. 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 $715 in New Plymouth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $735 in New Plymouth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,843 in New Plymouth versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in New Plymouth but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes New Plymouth 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 New Plymouth 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 New Plymouth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.