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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,446 in Rotorua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,208 in Rotorua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,970 in Rotorua.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 58% more expensive than in Rotorua, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Rotorua 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$12.16 NZ$20.82

33.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$60.6 NZ$104

4.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$9.89 NZ$16.93

4.35%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.77 NZ$4.74

2.17%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.22 NZ$3.79

3.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.19 NZ$3.74

-27.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$5.57 NZ$9.53

-38.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$5.27 NZ$9.03

-23.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.75 NZ$3.00

-37.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.10 NZ$3.59

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.33 NZ$2.27

32.33%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$5.27 NZ$9.02

-39.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$8.02 NZ$13.74

64.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$8.64 NZ$14.80

-7.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$10.91 NZ$18.68

42.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.78 NZ$3.05

33.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.20 NZ$3.76

-22.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.33 NZ$5.70

-39.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.17 NZ$2.01

107.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.76 NZ$3.01

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.68 NZ$2.87

20.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.97 NZ$3.38

-2.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.29 NZ$2.20

-34.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$22.98 NZ$39.35

-71.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$8.43 NZ$14.44

-33.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.43 NZ$2.45

-6.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.77 NZ$4.74

7.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.67 NZ$2.87

36.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$62.6 NZ$107

-26.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.79 NZ$3.07

136.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.58 NZ$2.70

-48.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$35.49 NZ$60.8

-48.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.71 NZ$2.92

21.64%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$28.9K NZ$49.5K

19.94%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$22.4K NZ$38.4K

74.73%

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

$148 €130

$146 NZ$250

1.42%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$30.97 NZ$53.0

-33.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$46.51 NZ$79.6

-14.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$35.59 NZ$60.9

34.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$10.34 NZ$17.70

79.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$10.20 NZ$17.46

-9.61%

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

$616 €539

$888 NZ$1,521

-30.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$13.7K NZ$23.4K

20.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$69.2 NZ$119

48.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$35.90 NZ$61.5

16.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$43.00 NZ$73.6

120.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$54.3 NZ$93.0

124.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$716 NZ$1,226

127.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$542 NZ$929

127.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,467 NZ$2,511

111.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$917 NZ$1,571

121.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$4,199 NZ$7,190

86.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$3,349 NZ$5,734

31.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$3,706 NZ$6,345

-56.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.37

-40.19%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Rotorua: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $716 in Rotorua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotorua pays 131% 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 $61.0 in Rotorua. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $268, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 58% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,446 including rent). Rotorua is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 131% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $716 in Rotorua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $888 in Rotorua. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,446 in Rotorua versus $2,291 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 58% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.