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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,631 in Palmerston North.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,689 in Palmerston North.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $3,747 in Palmerston North.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 42% more expensive than in Palmerston North, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Palmerston North 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$14.30 NZ$24.30

20.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$69.2 NZ$118

-8.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$9.49 NZ$16.13

20.02%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$3.42 NZ$5.82

-6.73%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$2.45 NZ$4.17

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.84 NZ$3.12

-4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$6.69 NZ$11.36

-46.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$7.13 NZ$12.12

-52.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.96 NZ$3.33

-36.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.31 NZ$3.92

-14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.40 NZ$2.38

8.57%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$5.38 NZ$9.14

-24.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$7.06 NZ$12.00

91.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$10.10 NZ$17.16

-16.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$11.22 NZ$19.06

62.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.65 NZ$4.50

-13.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.26 NZ$3.85

-23.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.30 NZ$3.91

-19.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$5.93 NZ$10.08

-55.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.52 NZ$2.58

26.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.91 NZ$1.55

129.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.74 NZ$2.96

-17.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.75 NZ$1.27

12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$23.85 NZ$40.51

-71.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$8.53 NZ$14.48

-33.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.91 NZ$4.94

-52.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.91 NZ$4.94

-23.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$4.22 NZ$7.17

-43.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$85.5 NZ$145

-45.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.96 NZ$3.33

112.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.86 NZ$3.17

-38.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$17.77 NZ$30.19

-0.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.73 NZ$2.94

34.10%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$22.9K NZ$39.0K

54.02%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$25.5K NZ$43.3K

62.42%

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

$170 €146

$73.0 NZ$124

133.26%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$33.34 NZ$56.6

-41.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$36.98 NZ$62.8

-9.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$23.56 NZ$40.02

104.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$14.88 NZ$25.27

33.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$12.33 NZ$20.94

-19.55%

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

$717 €617

$1,105 NZ$1,876

-35.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$8,727 NZ$14.8K

100.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$73.9 NZ$126

41.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$29.14 NZ$49.50

61.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$86.6 NZ$147

19.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$88.5 NZ$150

40.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$955 NZ$1,623

75.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$665 NZ$1,129

91.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$1,655 NZ$2,811

80.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$1,364 NZ$2,317

46.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$2,196 NZ$3,731

256.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,927 NZ$3,273

141.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$2,646 NZ$4,494

-40.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

5.39

-29.68%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Palmerston North: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $955 in Palmerston North. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 67% 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 $69.0 in Palmerston North for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $301 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 42% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,631 including rent). Palmerston North is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 67% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $955 in Palmerston North. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $1,105 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 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,631 in Palmerston North versus $2,316 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 42% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.