Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rotorua Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rotorua

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,203 in Lisbon versus $1,455 in Rotorua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,237 in Lisbon versus $2,327 in Rotorua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $3,198 in Rotorua.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 51% more expensive than in Rotorua, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Rotorua 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.01 €15.12

$11.26 NZ$20.01

51.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.7 €55.7

$66.3 NZ$118

-5.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 €10.14

$8.77 NZ$15.59

30.22%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.74

$3.24 NZ$5.77

-4.63%

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

$2.37 €2.10

$1.93 NZ$3.43

22.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.47

$1.78 NZ$3.17

-6.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 €3.07

$6.34 NZ$11.27

-45.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 €2.92

$6.55 NZ$11.65

-49.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.69 NZ$3.00

-30.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.19 NZ$2.12

57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.20 NZ$2.14

26.67%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.44

$6.10 NZ$10.84

-36.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 €11.44

$7.23 NZ$12.85

78.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 €7.05

$4.40 NZ$7.82

80.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 €15.66

$16.95 NZ$30.14

4.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.00

$2.78 NZ$4.94

-18.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.97 NZ$3.51

-10.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 €1.67

$2.46 NZ$4.37

-23.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$5.86 NZ$10.43

-57.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.43 NZ$2.53

30.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.84

$0.80 NZ$1.43

158.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.24

$0.57 NZ$1.02

143.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.72

$1.08 NZ$1.93

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 €6.12

$24.45 NZ$43.48

-71.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 €4.91

$8.39 NZ$14.92

-34.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$2.72 NZ$4.84

-51.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.92

$3.34 NZ$5.93

-35.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 €1.99

$1.25 NZ$2.23

79.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.14 €40.11

$59.8 NZ$106

-24.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 €3.55

$2.30 NZ$4.08

73.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.95

$1.91 NZ$3.40

-43.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.53 €14.68

$31.60 NZ$56.2

-47.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.57 NZ$2.78

43.95%

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

$33.5K €29.8K

$22.5K NZ$40.0K

49.03%

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

$40.5K €36.0K

$20.3K NZ$36.0K

99.71%

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

$164 €145

$64.1 NZ$114

155.33%

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

$18.54 €16.47

$26.72 NZ$47.51

-30.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.21 €29.50

$44.71 NZ$79.5

-25.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.88

$37.91 NZ$67.4

21.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.80 €16.71

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 €8.41

$8.87 NZ$15.77

6.76%

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

$690 €613

$662 NZ$1,178

4.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.0K

$19.3K NZ$34.4K

-12.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €93.0

$75.5 NZ$134

38.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.27 €40.22

$16.48 NZ$29.30

174.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 €87.9

$93.4 NZ$166

5.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €110

$110 NZ$196

12.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 €1,406

$674 NZ$1,199

134.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 €1,074

$558 NZ$992

116.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,833 €2,517

$1,272 NZ$2,261

122.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,964 €1,745

$1,042 NZ$1,852

88.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,643 €6,790

$4,084 NZ$7,262

87.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,431 €3,936

$3,276 NZ$5,824

35.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,573 €1,397

$3,619 NZ$6,435

-56.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

5.37

-29.42%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 4, 2026

Last update for Rotorua: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,583 in Lisbon and $674 in Rotorua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotorua pays 130% 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 $66.0 in Rotorua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $276 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 Rotorua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Rotorua differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($2,203 vs $1,455 including rent). Rotorua is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 130% lower in Rotorua. 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: $1,583 in Lisbon versus $674 in Rotorua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $690 in Lisbon versus $662 in Rotorua. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,455 in Rotorua versus $2,203 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rotorua but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Rotorua 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 Rotorua 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 Rotorua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.