Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wanaka Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wanaka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,863 in Wanaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $2,921 in Wanaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $3,979 in Wanaka.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$11.88 NZ$20.31

36.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$60.4 NZ$103

6.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$9.29 NZ$15.88

11.73%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$3.17 NZ$5.42

-12.62%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.75 NZ$2.99

28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.96 NZ$3.35

-19.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$7.30 NZ$12.48

-52.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$6.05 NZ$10.35

-33.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$2.19 NZ$3.75

-50.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.91 NZ$3.27

-8.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.91 NZ$3.27

-8.90%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$5.54 NZ$9.48

-42.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$8.51 NZ$14.55

57.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$10.69 NZ$18.28

-25.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$13.00 NZ$22.24

23.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.92 NZ$5.00

-21.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.29 NZ$3.91

-24.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$3.34 NZ$5.72

-41.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$4.54 NZ$7.76

-44.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.91 NZ$3.27

-4.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.08 NZ$3.56

-1.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$2.55 NZ$4.36

-22.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.12 NZ$1.91

-24.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$23.89 NZ$40.86

-71.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$9.09 NZ$15.54

-36.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.52 NZ$4.30

-45.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$3.72 NZ$6.36

-22.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.17 NZ$3.71

5.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$63.0 NZ$108

-25.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$2.79 NZ$4.77

46.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.14 NZ$1.94

-28.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$29.65 NZ$50.7

-38.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.74 NZ$2.97

15.52%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$20.1K NZ$34.4K

75.09%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$25.2K NZ$43.1K

52.73%

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

$145 €124

$100 NZ$172

44.75%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$35.91 NZ$61.4

-41.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$55.0 NZ$94.1

-27.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$41.45 NZ$70.9

17.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$12.26 NZ$20.97

52.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$9.61 NZ$16.43

-5.72%

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

$607 €519

$580 NZ$992

4.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$12.0K NZ$20.6K

35.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$66.1 NZ$113

58.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$34.92 NZ$59.7

17.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$73.1 NZ$125

28.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$76.9 NZ$132

54.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$1,038 NZ$1,776

54.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$850 NZ$1,453

45.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$1,980 NZ$3,386

53.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$1,758 NZ$3,006

16.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$4,721 NZ$8,072

63.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$3,835 NZ$6,559

11.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$4,532 NZ$7,750

-65.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-4.75%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Wanaka: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $1,038 in Wanaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wanaka pays 186% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $60.0 in Wanaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $325, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Wanaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Wanaka differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,863 including rent). Wanaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Wanaka earns 186% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $1,038 in Wanaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $580 in Wanaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,863 in Wanaka versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Wanaka but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Wanaka 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 Wanaka 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 Wanaka 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.