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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,662 in Palmerston North.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,665 in Palmerston North.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,668 in Palmerston North.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 38% more expensive than in Palmerston North, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Palmerston North 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$16.84 NZ$28.83

-3.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$72.5 NZ$124

-12.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$12.04 NZ$20.62

-14.29%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.41 NZ$5.83

-17.01%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.30 NZ$3.93

-0.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.08 NZ$3.56

-24.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$7.36 NZ$12.59

-53.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$6.20 NZ$10.62

-35.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.92 NZ$3.29

-43.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.07 NZ$3.54

-15.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.81 NZ$3.09

-2.76%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$5.28 NZ$9.03

-39.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$8.19 NZ$14.03

61.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$9.27 NZ$15.87

-14.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$12.59 NZ$21.55

23.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.50 NZ$4.27

-5.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.83 NZ$3.13

-6.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.43 NZ$4.16

-17.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$3.48 NZ$5.96

-30.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.13 NZ$3.65

-17.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.16 NZ$3.69

-6.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.04 NZ$3.49

-5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.99 NZ$1.70

-14.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$20.47 NZ$35.04

-67.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$8.79 NZ$15.05

-36.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.45 NZ$4.20

-45.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$5.21 NZ$8.93

-42.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$4.59 NZ$7.86

-50.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$30.29 NZ$51.9

51.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.38 NZ$4.07

77.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.80 NZ$3.08

-55.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$17.45 NZ$29.88

5.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.64 NZ$2.81

26.83%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$18.4K NZ$31.5K

88.56%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$21.8K NZ$37.3K

79.77%

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

$148 €130

$89.6 NZ$153

65.20%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$36.80 NZ$63.0

-44.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$47.79 NZ$81.8

-17.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$35.51 NZ$60.8

35.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$13.17 NZ$22.56

41.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$9.14 NZ$15.65

0.88%

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

$616 €539

$993 NZ$1,700

-37.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$6,069 NZ$10.4K

170.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$56.9 NZ$97.5

80.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$37.10 NZ$63.5

12.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$92.4 NZ$158

2.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$90.6 NZ$155

34.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$844 NZ$1,445

93.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$688 NZ$1,177

79.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,570 NZ$2,688

97.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$1,391 NZ$2,382

46.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$2,125 NZ$3,638

268.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$1,887 NZ$3,231

132.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$2,576 NZ$4,411

-37.61%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Palmerston North: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $844 in Palmerston North. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 60% 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 $73.0 in Palmerston North for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $298 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 Palmerston North: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Palmerston North differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,662 including rent). Palmerston North is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Palmerston North. 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 $844 in Palmerston North. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $993 in Palmerston North. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,662 in Palmerston North versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Palmerston North but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.