Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Timaru Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Timaru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,072 in Timaru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $3,190 in Timaru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $4,308 in Timaru.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 7% more expensive than Timaru, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Timaru 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$14.97 NZ$25.27

6.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$77.8 NZ$131

-16.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$9.46 NZ$15.97

11.10%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.44 NZ$5.81

-16.57%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.17 NZ$3.67

3.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.94 NZ$3.28

-22.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$5.96 NZ$10.06

-41.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$5.95 NZ$10.05

-34.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.58 NZ$2.66

-27.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.87 NZ$3.16

-6.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.18 NZ$1.98

49.15%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$6.53 NZ$11.02

-50.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$9.80 NZ$16.55

37.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$10.89 NZ$18.39

-27.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$16.40 NZ$27.68

-3.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.57 NZ$4.33

-10.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.53 NZ$4.27

-32.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.05 NZ$5.15

-34.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$5.85 NZ$9.88

-57.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.64 NZ$4.46

-30.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.38 NZ$4.02

-15.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.94 NZ$4.97

-34.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.11 NZ$1.88

-28.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$28.77 NZ$48.56

-77.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$7.27 NZ$12.27

-21.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$4.83 NZ$8.16

-71.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$7.11 NZ$12.01

-58.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.13 NZ$3.60

11.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$63.9 NZ$108

-28.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.78 NZ$4.69

54.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.14 NZ$1.92

-28.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$31.79 NZ$53.7

-42.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.66 NZ$2.80

24.10%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$29.4K NZ$49.7K

16.56%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$17.7K NZ$29.9K

122.07%

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

$148 €127

$191 NZ$322

-22.50%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$23.74 NZ$40.08

-13.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$60.0 NZ$101

-33.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$36.24 NZ$61.2

32.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$12.23 NZ$20.65

54.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$13.53 NZ$22.84

-32.15%

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

$614 €528

$492 NZ$831

24.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$7,030 NZ$11.9K

128.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$86.4 NZ$146

21.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$49.33 NZ$83.3

-14.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$96.0 NZ$162

-2.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$279 NZ$471

-57.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$976 NZ$1,648

66.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$801 NZ$1,352

56.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,553 NZ$2,622

95.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,452 NZ$2,452

39.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$4,560 NZ$7,698

71.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$3,465 NZ$5,850

23.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

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 Timaru: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $976 in Timaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $78.0 in Timaru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $359 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 Timaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Timaru differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,072 including rent). Timaru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $3,107 in Timaru to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $976 in Timaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $492 in Timaru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 33% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,072 in Timaru versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Timaru but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Timaru 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 Timaru 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 Timaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.