Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Upper Hutt Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Upper Hutt

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,923 in Upper Hutt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $2,974 in Upper Hutt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $4,025 in Upper Hutt.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 19% more expensive than in Upper Hutt, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Upper Hutt 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$17.25 NZ$29.23

-8.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$84.0 NZ$142

-24.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$9.84 NZ$16.68

6.20%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$3.55 NZ$6.01

-18.03%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$2.29 NZ$3.88

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.21 NZ$3.75

-32.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$7.41 NZ$12.55

-51.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$6.31 NZ$10.69

-37.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.73 NZ$2.93

-37.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.09 NZ$3.55

-15.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.83 NZ$3.11

-7.10%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$6.25 NZ$10.60

-48.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$7.96 NZ$13.49

66.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$8.92 NZ$15.12

-13.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$12.21 NZ$20.70

29.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.41 NZ$4.08

-5.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.81 NZ$3.07

-8.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.52 NZ$4.28

-19.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$3.35 NZ$5.68

-26.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$2.01 NZ$3.41

-10.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.63 NZ$2.76

26.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$2.12 NZ$3.59

-7.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$1.29 NZ$2.18

-35.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$20.65 NZ$35.01

-68.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$10.93 NZ$18.52

-49.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.44 NZ$4.13

-45.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.63 NZ$4.46

14.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$2.13 NZ$3.60

6.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$64.2 NZ$109

-27.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$2.69 NZ$4.55

57.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.84 NZ$3.12

-53.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$47.40 NZ$80.4

-60.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.65 NZ$2.79

22.42%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$27.3K NZ$46.2K

28.19%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$23.4K NZ$39.7K

69.34%

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

$148 €128

$159 NZ$270

-7.06%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$33.34 NZ$56.5

-38.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$47.63 NZ$80.8

-17.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$37.13 NZ$63.0

29.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$11.86 NZ$20.11

55.06%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$9.22 NZ$15.63

-1.30%

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

$615 €532

$743 NZ$1,259

-17.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$12.7K NZ$21.6K

27.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$72.8 NZ$123

39.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$52.1 NZ$88.3

-19.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$104 NZ$177

-11.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$127 NZ$215

-3.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$978 NZ$1,659

64.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$789 NZ$1,337

58.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$1,590 NZ$2,696

93.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$1,433 NZ$2,429

42.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$4,673 NZ$7,921

65.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$2,994 NZ$5,076

43.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.69

-43.05%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Upper Hutt: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $978 in Upper Hutt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $84.0 in Upper Hutt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $298 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 Upper Hutt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Upper Hutt differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,923 including rent). Upper Hutt is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,420 in Lisbon and $2,884 in Upper Hutt 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $978 in Upper Hutt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $743 in Upper Hutt. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,923 in Upper Hutt versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Upper Hutt but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Upper Hutt 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 Upper Hutt 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 Upper Hutt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.