Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Waihi

For one person, living is cheaper in Waihi: $1,922 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon, Portugal
Waihi, New Zealand
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Waihi
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$1,922
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Waihi

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 Waihi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,922 in Waihi.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Waihi $1,922

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,966 in Waihi.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Waihi $2,966

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $4,010 in Waihi.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Waihi $4,010

Living in Lisbon is roughly 15% more expensive than in Waihi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Waihi 41% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Waihi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.91
$12.46 NZ$22.12
33.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$66.5 NZ$118
-7.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.17
$10.30 NZ$18.28
10.29%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$3.27 NZ$5.81
-9.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$2.29 NZ$4.07
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.88 NZ$3.33
-7.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$7.02 NZ$12.46
-51.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.96
$6.34 NZ$11.25
-47.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Waihi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$2.05 NZ$3.63
-43.41%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$2.09 NZ$3.70
-8.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$1.75 NZ$3.10
-13.71%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$6.56 NZ$11.65
-38.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$8.02 NZ$14.23
61.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.96
$8.37 NZ$14.86
-7.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.91
$13.24 NZ$23.51
34.14%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$2.42 NZ$4.29
-4.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$2.43 NZ$4.32
-28.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$3.46 NZ$6.15
-46.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$5.45 NZ$9.68
-52.48%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$2.19 NZ$3.89
-16.89%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.29 NZ$2.28
52.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.99 NZ$3.53
-26.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.23 NZ$2.19
-41.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$22.43 NZ$39.81
-70.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$8.51 NZ$15.10
-34.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$3.06 NZ$5.44
-55.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.91 NZ$5.16
-26.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Waihi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$1.75 NZ$3.10
33.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.01
$91.9 NZ$163
-51.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$1.93 NZ$3.43
99.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.91 NZ$3.40
-43.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.74
$27.33 NZ$48.51
-39.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.46 NZ$2.60
50.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$26.4K NZ$46.8K
29.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$22.7K NZ$40.3K
70.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Waihi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$98.2 NZ$174
64.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.49
$32.20 NZ$57.2
-42.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.32
$56.7 NZ$101
-42.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Waihi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.90
$38.41 NZ$68.2
15.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.10
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$10.15 NZ$18.03
-5.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Waihi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$637 NZ$1,131
4.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$15.9K NZ$28.2K
10.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Waihi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$56.8 NZ$101
79.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.82
$36.02 NZ$64.0
23.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.2
$79.8 NZ$142
23.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$124 NZ$220
0.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Waihi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,440
$1,043 NZ$1,852
54.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$880 NZ$1,563
35.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,519
$1,835 NZ$3,258
53.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,803
$1,618 NZ$2,873
24.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,021
$4,648 NZ$8,251
68.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,098
$3,823 NZ$6,788
19.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Waihi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
5.83
-33.96%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Waihi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Waihi
$880 26% $310
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Waihi
$318 16.8% $46
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Waihi
$234 3.5% $8.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Waihi
$187 11.9% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Waihi
$133 19.7% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Waihi
$59 7.9% $5
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Waihi
$110 74.7% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,043 in Waihi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $66 in Waihi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $318 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇳🇿 Waihi
🕒 Local time
11:51 11:51 AM
00:51 12:51 AM
13 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
4,700
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Waihi 19,560 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Waihi

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 Waihi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Waihi?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,922 in Waihi, so Waihi is about 13% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Waihi?
You’d need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $2,883 in Waihi 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Waihi?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,043 in Waihi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Waihi?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $637 in Waihi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How far does $3,000 go in Lisbon compared to Waihi?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Waihi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Waihi?
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 Waihi safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Waihi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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