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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,917 in Timaru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,928 in Timaru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,939 in Timaru.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 20% more expensive than in Timaru, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Timaru 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$14.41 NZ$25.18

22.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$63.2 NZ$111

-0.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$11.17 NZ$19.53

3.67%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.38 NZ$5.91

-8.28%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.11 NZ$3.69

18.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.83 NZ$3.19

-4.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$5.76 NZ$10.06

-39.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$6.54 NZ$11.43

-47.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.12 NZ$1.96

2.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.83 NZ$3.19

4.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.18 NZ$2.06

27.12%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$5.87 NZ$10.26

-32.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$8.71 NZ$15.23

52.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$9.58 NZ$16.74

-16.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$17.05 NZ$29.81

5.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.04 NZ$5.32

-22.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.41 NZ$4.21

-27.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$3.23 NZ$5.65

-42.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$5.09 NZ$8.90

-49.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.87 NZ$3.27

-1.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.90 NZ$3.33

10.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$2.33 NZ$4.07

-36.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.56 NZ$0.99

46.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$21.33 NZ$37.28

-66.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$5.93 NZ$10.36

-0.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$3.32 NZ$5.80

-60.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.22 NZ$2.13

74.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.75 NZ$3.06

34.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$86.8 NZ$152

-46.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$2.33 NZ$4.07

75.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.83 NZ$3.21

-37.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$28.99 NZ$50.7

-41.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.53 NZ$2.67

50.98%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$25.7K NZ$45.0K

32.55%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$25.6K NZ$44.8K

61.41%

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

$169 €147

$114 NZ$200

47.64%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$23.35 NZ$40.82

-17.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$54.4 NZ$95.2

-38.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$40.22 NZ$70.3

21.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$10.63 NZ$18.58

-9.97%

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

$696 €607

$594 NZ$1,039

17.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$12.0K NZ$20.9K

45.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$61.0 NZ$107

72.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$35.99 NZ$62.9

32.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$93.1 NZ$163

7.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$141 NZ$247

-11.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$1,047 NZ$1,831

58.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$915 NZ$1,599

36.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,566 NZ$2,738

89.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$1,510 NZ$2,640

35.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$4,274 NZ$7,471

83.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$3,025 NZ$5,289

47.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

7.07

-46.53%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Timaru: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $1,047 in Timaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $63.0 in Timaru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $307 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 20% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,917 including rent). Timaru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,444 in Lisbon and $2,875 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $1,047 in Timaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $594 in Timaru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,917 in Timaru versus $2,296 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 20% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.