Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Oamaru Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Oamaru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,789 in Oamaru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,726 in Oamaru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,663 in Oamaru.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 28% more expensive than in Oamaru, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Oamaru 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$16.76 NZ$28.69

-3.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$71.2 NZ$122

-10.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$9.80 NZ$16.78

5.31%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.53 NZ$6.04

-19.83%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.35 NZ$4.02

-2.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.03 NZ$3.48

-22.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$7.06 NZ$12.09

-51.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$7.45 NZ$12.76

-45.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.86 NZ$3.19

-41.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.10 NZ$1.89

59.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.23 NZ$2.11

43.09%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.77 NZ$6.46

-15.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$8.35 NZ$14.30

57.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$9.29 NZ$15.91

-14.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$12.85 NZ$22.01

20.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.45 NZ$4.19

-3.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.85 NZ$3.16

-7.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.97 NZ$5.08

-32.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$5.74 NZ$9.82

-57.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.49 NZ$2.56

18.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.23 NZ$2.10

65.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.79 NZ$3.06

7.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.41 NZ$2.41

-39.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$24.26 NZ$41.55

-72.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$5.63 NZ$9.64

-0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$3.80 NZ$6.51

-65.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$4.99 NZ$8.55

-40.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.05 NZ$3.50

11.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$65.1 NZ$112

-29.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.76 NZ$4.73

53.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.67 NZ$2.86

-51.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$30.09 NZ$51.5

-38.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.63 NZ$2.80

27.61%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$26.7K NZ$45.7K

29.91%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$20.1K NZ$34.4K

94.74%

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

$148 €130

$118 NZ$202

25.51%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$18.44 NZ$31.58

10.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$49.11 NZ$84.1

-19.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$36.33 NZ$62.2

32.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$12.04 NZ$20.61

54.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$10.96 NZ$18.76

-15.88%

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

$616 €539

$650 NZ$1,113

-5.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$9,247 NZ$15.8K

77.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$59.1 NZ$101

73.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$18.32 NZ$31.37

127.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$48.06 NZ$82.3

97.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$54.2 NZ$92.8

125.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$965 NZ$1,653

69.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$780 NZ$1,336

57.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,564 NZ$2,678

98.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$1,428 NZ$2,445

42.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$4,879 NZ$8,353

60.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$3,757 NZ$6,433

16.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$2,042 NZ$3,496

-21.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-36.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Oamaru: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $965 in Oamaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oamaru pays 27% 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 $71.0 in Oamaru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $295 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 Oamaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Oamaru differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,789 including rent). Oamaru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Oamaru. 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 $965 in Oamaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $650 in Oamaru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,789 in Oamaru versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Oamaru but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Oamaru 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 Oamaru 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 Oamaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.