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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,862 in Waitakere.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,940 in Waitakere.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $4,018 in Waitakere.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 23% more expensive than in Waitakere, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Waitakere 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$15.05 NZ$25.77

7.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$77.7 NZ$133

-18.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$9.46 NZ$16.21

9.09%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.52 NZ$6.02

-19.60%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.27 NZ$3.89

0.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.02 NZ$3.46

-21.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$7.12 NZ$12.20

-52.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$6.51 NZ$11.14

-38.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.80 NZ$3.08

-39.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.92 NZ$3.28

-8.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.81 NZ$3.10

-2.76%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$6.23 NZ$10.67

-49.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$7.98 NZ$13.67

65.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$9.36 NZ$16.03

-14.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$12.98 NZ$22.23

19.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.67 NZ$4.57

-11.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.20 NZ$3.77

-22.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.09 NZ$5.29

-34.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$4.57 NZ$7.82

-46.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.00 NZ$3.42

-12.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.96 NZ$3.35

3.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.28 NZ$3.91

-15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.11 NZ$1.90

-23.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$23.98 NZ$41.06

-72.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$9.10 NZ$15.58

-38.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.58 NZ$4.42

-48.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.59 NZ$6.15

-17.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.09 NZ$3.58

9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$63.3 NZ$108

-27.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.68 NZ$4.59

57.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.85 NZ$3.17

-56.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$35.49 NZ$60.8

-48.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.67 NZ$2.86

24.55%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$28.7K NZ$49.1K

20.89%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$22.2K NZ$38.1K

76.03%

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

$148 €130

$143 NZ$245

3.47%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$36.02 NZ$61.7

-43.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$51.9 NZ$88.9

-23.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$37.02 NZ$63.4

29.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$12.18 NZ$20.85

52.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$10.67 NZ$18.26

-13.59%

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

$616 €539

$726 NZ$1,243

-15.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$11.9K NZ$20.3K

38.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$67.2 NZ$115

52.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$38.29 NZ$65.6

9.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$93.7 NZ$160

1.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$115 NZ$197

5.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$953 NZ$1,631

71.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$784 NZ$1,342

57.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,592 NZ$2,726

94.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$1,448 NZ$2,479

40.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$5,413 NZ$9,267

44.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$2,894 NZ$4,955

51.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Waitakere: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $953 in Waitakere. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $78.0 in Waitakere for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $312 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 23% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,862 including rent). Waitakere is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $2,793 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $953 in Waitakere. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $726 in Waitakere. 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 $1,862 in Waitakere versus $2,291 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 23% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.