Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Queenstown Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Queenstown

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,730 in Queenstown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $4,283 in Queenstown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $5,836 in Queenstown.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 19% less than in Queenstown, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Queenstown 104% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$14.92 NZ$25.19

6.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$85.1 NZ$144

-23.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$9.47 NZ$15.99

10.98%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.50 NZ$5.90

-18.00%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.45 NZ$4.14

-8.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.34 NZ$3.95

-35.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$7.13 NZ$12.03

-51.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$5.90 NZ$9.96

-34.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.27 NZ$3.84

-49.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.05 NZ$3.46

-14.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.51 NZ$4.24

-29.88%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$6.29 NZ$10.62

-48.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$10.13 NZ$17.10

33.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$10.72 NZ$18.10

-26.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$16.79 NZ$28.34

-5.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.15 NZ$5.32

-26.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.48 NZ$4.18

-31.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$4.15 NZ$7.01

-51.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$5.83 NZ$9.84

-57.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.69 NZ$4.54

-31.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.34 NZ$3.95

-14.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.80 NZ$4.73

-31.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.10 NZ$1.85

-28.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$29.38 NZ$49.60

-77.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$10.29 NZ$17.38

-44.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$4.85 NZ$8.19

-71.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$6.85 NZ$11.57

-56.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.75 NZ$4.64

-13.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$128 NZ$216

-64.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.81 NZ$4.75

52.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.82 NZ$3.07

-54.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$31.15 NZ$52.6

-41.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.67 NZ$2.83

23.35%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$30.0K NZ$50.7K

14.08%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$17.9K NZ$30.2K

119.89%

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

$148 €127

$282 NZ$477

-47.64%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$40.45 NZ$68.3

-49.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$62.3 NZ$105

-36.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$57.6 NZ$97.3

-16.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$24.81 NZ$41.89

-23.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$13.14 NZ$22.19

-30.14%

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

$614 €528

$490 NZ$827

25.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,906 NZ$11.7K

132.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$87.9 NZ$148

19.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$50.0 NZ$84.4

-15.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$98.4 NZ$166

-4.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$278 NZ$469

-56.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$1,461 NZ$2,466

11.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$1,298 NZ$2,192

-3.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$3,037 NZ$5,127

-0.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$2,556 NZ$4,315

-20.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$8,161 NZ$13.8K

-4.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$5,609 NZ$9,469

-23.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$3,223 NZ$5,441

-50.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.74

-43.47%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Queenstown: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,461 in Queenstown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Queenstown pays 101% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $85.0 in Queenstown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $385 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 Queenstown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Queenstown differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,730 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Queenstown earns 101% 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 $1,461 in Queenstown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $490 in Queenstown. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Queenstown. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Queenstown 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Queenstown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.