Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Waihi Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Waihi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,855 in Waihi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $2,929 in Waihi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $4,002 in Waihi.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 20% more expensive than Waihi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Waihi 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$15.24 NZ$26.05

6.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$77.6 NZ$133

-16.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$9.53 NZ$16.30

8.92%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$3.38 NZ$5.79

-18.05%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$2.36 NZ$4.04

-4.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$2.08 NZ$3.56

-24.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$7.33 NZ$12.53

-52.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$6.21 NZ$10.62

-35.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.83 NZ$3.14

-40.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.94 NZ$3.32

-10.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.83 NZ$3.13

-4.92%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$6.13 NZ$10.48

-48.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$8.27 NZ$14.15

62.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$9.45 NZ$16.17

-15.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$12.89 NZ$22.04

24.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.71 NZ$4.63

-15.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.17 NZ$3.71

-20.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$3.12 NZ$5.33

-37.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$4.48 NZ$7.66

-43.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.08 NZ$3.56

-12.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.95 NZ$3.34

4.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$2.29 NZ$3.92

-13.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.15 NZ$1.97

-26.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$23.66 NZ$40.46

-71.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$10.36 NZ$17.72

-44.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.58 NZ$4.42

-46.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$3.62 NZ$6.19

-19.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.13 NZ$3.64

7.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$64.4 NZ$110

-27.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$2.64 NZ$4.52

54.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.79 NZ$3.06

-54.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$35.70 NZ$61.0

-48.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.65 NZ$2.82

21.82%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$27.9K NZ$47.8K

26.20%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$22.5K NZ$38.5K

70.81%

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

$145 €124

$142 NZ$242

2.76%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$35.90 NZ$61.4

-41.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$51.4 NZ$87.9

-22.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$36.70 NZ$62.8

32.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$12.23 NZ$20.90

52.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$10.64 NZ$18.19

-14.85%

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

$607 €519

$727 NZ$1,244

-16.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$12.0K NZ$20.5K

36.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$67.3 NZ$115

55.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$38.06 NZ$65.1

7.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$96.6 NZ$165

-3.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$118 NZ$202

0.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$965 NZ$1,650

66.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$794 NZ$1,358

55.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$1,565 NZ$2,676

94.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$1,412 NZ$2,414

45.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$4,857 NZ$8,306

58.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$3,067 NZ$5,245

39.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Waihi: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $965 in Waihi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $78.0 in Waihi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $316 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 Waihi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Waihi differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,855 including rent). Waihi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,341 in Lisbon and $2,782 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $965 in Waihi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $727 in Waihi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,855 in Waihi versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Waihi but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Waihi 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 Waihi 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 Waihi 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.