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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,076 in Timaru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $3,132 in Timaru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $4,188 in Timaru.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 10% more expensive than in Timaru, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Timaru 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$15.16 NZ$25.91

6.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$79.5 NZ$136

-20.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$9.76 NZ$16.68

5.74%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.39 NZ$5.79

-16.52%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$2.20 NZ$3.75

4.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.96 NZ$3.35

-19.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$6.01 NZ$10.26

-43.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$5.89 NZ$10.07

-31.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.64 NZ$2.80

-33.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.95 NZ$3.33

-10.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.20 NZ$2.04

46.67%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$6.32 NZ$10.80

-49.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$10.09 NZ$17.24

30.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$10.54 NZ$18.01

-24.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$16.82 NZ$28.73

-7.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.52 NZ$4.30

-5.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.44 NZ$4.16

-29.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.09 NZ$5.27

-34.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$5.84 NZ$9.97

-58.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.61 NZ$4.46

-32.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.36 NZ$4.03

-13.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.91 NZ$4.97

-34.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.16 NZ$1.98

-26.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$29.22 NZ$49.92

-77.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$7.09 NZ$12.11

-21.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$4.63 NZ$7.90

-71.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$6.94 NZ$11.85

-57.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.17 NZ$3.70

5.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$63.0 NZ$108

-27.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.88 NZ$4.93

46.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.10 NZ$1.87

-26.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$32.24 NZ$55.1

-42.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.60 NZ$2.74

30.00%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$30.2K NZ$51.6K

14.71%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$17.8K NZ$30.4K

120.03%

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

$148 €130

$191 NZ$327

-22.66%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$23.77 NZ$40.61

-13.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$60.1 NZ$103

-34.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$37.44 NZ$64.0

28.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$12.01 NZ$20.52

54.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$13.01 NZ$22.22

-29.13%

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

$616 €540

$502 NZ$858

22.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$6,932 NZ$11.8K

137.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$87.2 NZ$149

17.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$50.1 NZ$85.7

-16.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$96.9 NZ$166

-2.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$282 NZ$482

-56.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$981 NZ$1,676

66.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$787 NZ$1,344

56.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,580 NZ$2,699

96.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$1,434 NZ$2,450

41.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$4,862 NZ$8,305

61.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$3,369 NZ$5,756

30.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Timaru: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $981 in Timaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $79.0 in Timaru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $357 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 10% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $2,076 including rent). Timaru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $3,113 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $981 in Timaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $502 in Timaru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 34% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,076 in Timaru versus $2,291 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 10% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.