Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tauranga

For one person, living costs are similar in Lisbon and in Tauranga: $2,223 and $2,123 a month, rent and utilities included.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Tauranga
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$2,123
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Tauranga

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Tauranga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,123 in Tauranga.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Tauranga $2,123

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $2,894 in Tauranga.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Tauranga $2,894

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $3,666 in Tauranga.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Tauranga $3,666

Living in Lisbon is roughly 5% more expensive than in Tauranga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Tauranga 57% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Tauranga
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.67
$13.92 NZ$24.62
18.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.5
$67.2 NZ$119
-8.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.03
$8.85 NZ$15.66
27.34%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$3.39 NZ$6.00
-9.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.83 NZ$3.23
23.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$1.79 NZ$3.16
-3.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.02
$4.53 NZ$8.02
-25.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.02
$5.72 NZ$10.12
-40.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Tauranga
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.96 NZ$3.47
-42.86%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.89 NZ$3.34
-1.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$1.60 NZ$2.83
-4.38%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.53
$6.16 NZ$10.90
-35.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.35
$8.02 NZ$14.19
59.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.02
$9.32 NZ$16.48
-15.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.09
$11.35 NZ$20.07
49.52%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.46 NZ$4.35
-7.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$2.12 NZ$3.75
-17.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.24 NZ$3.97
-17.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.28
$4.81 NZ$8.51
-46.57%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.77 NZ$3.13
5.08%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.20 NZ$2.11
68.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$2.03 NZ$3.58
-29.06%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$1.09 NZ$1.93
-24.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.83
$20.00 NZ$35.38
-67.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$8.62 NZ$15.25
-34.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$2.09 NZ$3.70
-38.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$3.26 NZ$5.76
-36.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Tauranga
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
$1.71 NZ$3.03
37.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
$2.27 NZ$4.01
75.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.93 NZ$3.41
-43.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.81
$31.43 NZ$55.6
-47.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.71 NZ$3.02
33.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.0K
$25.0K NZ$44.2K
34.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.0K
$21.7K NZ$38.3K
81.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Tauranga
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$114 NZ$202
46.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.72
$26.75 NZ$47.31
-29.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.43
$50.3 NZ$89.0
-34.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Tauranga
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €40.93
$55.1 NZ$97.5
-16.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.07
$16.97 NZ$30.00
13.08%
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.75
$11.16 NZ$19.74
-11.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Tauranga
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €602
$717 NZ$1,268
-5.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
$11.0K NZ$19.5K
53.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Tauranga
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
$65.7 NZ$116
54.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.70
$37.15 NZ$65.7
23.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$90.5 NZ$160
10.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$108 NZ$191
13.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Tauranga
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,436
$1,083 NZ$1,914
49.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,065
$1,177 NZ$2,082
1.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,545
$1,590 NZ$2,813
79.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,770
$1,449 NZ$2,563
37.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,740
$4,680 NZ$8,276
61.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,831
$2,247 NZ$3,974
91.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Tauranga
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,412
$2,951 NZ$5,219
-46.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
5.37
-28.31%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tauranga: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Tauranga
$1.2K 1.7% $20
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Tauranga
$295 9.7% $26
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Tauranga
$227 6.2% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Tauranga
$191 12.8% $28
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Tauranga
$136 18.5% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Tauranga
$77 17.9% $12
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Tauranga
$19 * 70.2% $44

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $1,083 in Tauranga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tauranga pays 86% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $67.0 in Tauranga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $295 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇳🇿 Tauranga
🕒 Local time
20:36 8:36 PM
08:36 8:36 AM
12 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
155,200
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Tauranga 19,540 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Tauranga

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tauranga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Tauranga?
Lisbon and Tauranga differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $2,123 including rent). Tauranga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 86% lower in Tauranga. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Tauranga?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $1,083 in Tauranga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Tauranga?
All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Lisbon versus $2,123 in Tauranga – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $2,123 in Tauranga versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tauranga but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tauranga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Tauranga?
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.
Is Lisbon or Tauranga safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Tauranga are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Tauranga?
Expats usually find Tauranga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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