Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Porirua Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Porirua

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,918 in Porirua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,949 in Porirua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,981 in Porirua.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 15% more expensive than Porirua, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Porirua 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$17.64 NZ$30.04

-9.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$83.2 NZ$142

-22.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$9.63 NZ$16.39

9.14%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.60 NZ$6.14

-20.28%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.37 NZ$4.03

-5.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.21 NZ$3.76

-32.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$7.27 NZ$12.39

-51.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$6.20 NZ$10.56

-37.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.70 NZ$2.89

-32.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.10 NZ$3.57

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.84 NZ$3.14

-4.35%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$6.30 NZ$10.72

-48.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$8.18 NZ$13.92

64.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$9.13 NZ$15.55

-13.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$12.99 NZ$22.13

22.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.77 NZ$4.71

-16.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.86 NZ$3.17

-8.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.10 NZ$5.28

-35.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.50 NZ$5.96

-29.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.05 NZ$3.50

-10.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.77 NZ$3.02

12.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.28 NZ$3.88

-15.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.31 NZ$2.23

-39.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$23.30 NZ$39.68

-71.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$11.98 NZ$20.41

-52.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.42 NZ$4.12

-43.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.67 NZ$4.55

11.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.06 NZ$3.51

15.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$63.4 NZ$108

-28.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.83 NZ$3.12

134.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.44 NZ$2.46

-43.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$36.44 NZ$62.1

-49.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.71 NZ$2.91

20.47%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$29.4K NZ$50.1K

16.50%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$23.2K NZ$39.5K

69.33%

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

$148 €127

$159 NZ$271

-7.19%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$33.71 NZ$57.4

-39.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$52.4 NZ$89.3

-24.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$42.47 NZ$72.3

12.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$12.26 NZ$20.87

54.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$10.34 NZ$17.61

-11.22%

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

$614 €529

$747 NZ$1,272

-17.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$12.9K NZ$21.9K

24.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$71.6 NZ$122

46.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$53.7 NZ$91.5

-21.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$105 NZ$178

-10.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$130 NZ$222

-8.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$961 NZ$1,637

69.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$785 NZ$1,337

59.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,550 NZ$2,640

95.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$1,449 NZ$2,468

39.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$4,372 NZ$7,446

78.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$3,395 NZ$5,782

25.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$2,961 NZ$5,043

-45.85%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Porirua: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $961 in Porirua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Porirua pays 85% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $83.0 in Porirua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $310 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 Porirua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Porirua differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,918 including rent). Porirua is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Porirua earns 85% less. 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $961 in Porirua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $747 in Porirua. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,918 in Porirua versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Porirua but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Porirua 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 Porirua 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 Porirua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.