Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Waitakere Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Waitakere

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,840 in Waitakere.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,904 in Waitakere.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,968 in Waitakere.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Waitakere 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$14.94 NZ$25.44

6.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$78.9 NZ$134

-17.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$9.37 NZ$15.95

12.17%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.44 NZ$5.86

-16.57%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.36 NZ$4.03

-5.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.07 NZ$3.53

-27.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$7.04 NZ$11.99

-50.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$6.24 NZ$10.62

-37.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.87 NZ$3.19

-39.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.97 NZ$3.36

-11.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.88 NZ$3.19

-6.38%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$6.21 NZ$10.57

-48.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$8.19 NZ$13.95

64.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$9.39 NZ$15.98

-15.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$12.84 NZ$21.87

23.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.75 NZ$4.69

-16.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.28 NZ$3.88

-25.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.09 NZ$5.27

-34.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$4.49 NZ$7.65

-45.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.00 NZ$3.41

-8.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.97 NZ$3.35

1.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.29 NZ$3.90

-15.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.10 NZ$1.88

-28.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$23.98 NZ$40.84

-72.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$9.31 NZ$15.86

-38.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.49 NZ$4.24

-44.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.69 NZ$6.28

-19.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.13 NZ$3.62

11.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$64.9 NZ$111

-29.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.66 NZ$4.53

61.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.80 NZ$3.07

-54.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$35.74 NZ$60.9

-48.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.66 NZ$2.83

24.10%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$28.2K NZ$48.1K

21.35%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$22.0K NZ$37.4K

78.91%

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

$148 €127

$142 NZ$242

4.02%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$36.04 NZ$61.4

-43.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$51.0 NZ$86.9

-22.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$37.40 NZ$63.7

27.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$12.26 NZ$20.87

54.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$10.90 NZ$18.56

-15.78%

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

$614 €529

$747 NZ$1,272

-17.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$11.9K NZ$20.3K

34.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$69.0 NZ$118

51.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$37.32 NZ$63.6

12.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$96.2 NZ$164

-2.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$117 NZ$199

2.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$982 NZ$1,672

65.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$798 NZ$1,359

57.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,589 NZ$2,706

90.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$1,403 NZ$2,389

44.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$4,439 NZ$7,560

75.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$3,361 NZ$5,723

27.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Waitakere: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $982 in Waitakere. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $79.0 in Waitakere for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $314 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 Waitakere: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Waitakere differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,840 including rent). Waitakere is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $2,761 in Waitakere 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $982 in Waitakere. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $747 in Waitakere. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,840 in Waitakere versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Waitakere but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Waitakere 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 Waitakere 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 Waitakere 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.