Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and North Shore Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and North Shore

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $2,158 in North Shore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,957 in North Shore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $3,757 in North Shore.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 5% more expensive than in North Shore, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, North Shore 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$14.41 NZ$24.77

21.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$71.4 NZ$123

-9.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$8.42 NZ$14.48

38.36%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.47 NZ$5.97

-6.05%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$2.10 NZ$3.62

18.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.74 NZ$2.98

-4.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$7.39 NZ$12.70

-53.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$6.99 NZ$12.01

-48.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.71 NZ$2.94

-30.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.35 NZ$2.32

44.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.83 NZ$3.15

-14.75%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$5.91 NZ$10.15

-32.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$8.35 NZ$14.36

58.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$10.32 NZ$17.75

-18.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$8.72 NZ$14.99

109.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.67 NZ$4.60

-13.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.13 NZ$3.65

-18.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$3.08 NZ$5.29

-37.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.89 NZ$6.69

-32.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.27 NZ$3.91

-16.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.65 NZ$2.83

27.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$2.01 NZ$3.46

-28.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.65 NZ$1.11

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$24.42 NZ$41.99

-71.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$10.09 NZ$17.34

-41.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.86 NZ$3.20

-26.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.18 NZ$2.02

82.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.44 NZ$4.20

-2.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$62.4 NZ$107

-25.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$2.36 NZ$4.06

77.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$2.12 NZ$3.64

-48.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$34.13 NZ$58.7

-49.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.82 NZ$3.13

23.63%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$26.9K NZ$46.2K

28.28%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$22.8K NZ$39.2K

82.64%

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

$171 €147

$190 NZ$327

-10.28%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$14.99 NZ$25.76

26.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$42.54 NZ$73.1

-19.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$28.46 NZ$48.93

74.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$10.71 NZ$18.42

-5.70%

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

$699 €603

$1,164 NZ$2,001

-39.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$14.9K NZ$25.7K

19.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$73.2 NZ$126

42.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$37.57 NZ$64.6

27.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$90.4 NZ$155

12.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$117 NZ$201

9.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$1,347 NZ$2,317

23.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$1,109 NZ$1,907

10.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$2,374 NZ$4,081

22.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$1,384 NZ$2,379

46.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$7,323 NZ$12.6K

11.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$6,238 NZ$10.7K

-25.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$2,910 NZ$5,004

-44.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

5.4

-30.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for North Shore: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $1,347 in North Shore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

North Shore pays 80% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $71.0 in North Shore. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $280, with North Shore cheaper for home cooking.

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 North Shore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and North Shore differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $2,158 including rent). North Shore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 80% lower in North Shore. 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $1,347 in North Shore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $1,164 in North Shore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,158 in North Shore versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in North Shore but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes North Shore 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 North Shore 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 North Shore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.