Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wanaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Wanaka: $1,696 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Wanaka
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Wanaka Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Wanaka

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,696

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Wanaka

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,696 in Wanaka.

Lisbon $2,210
Wanaka $1,696

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,695 in Wanaka.

Lisbon $3,275
Wanaka $2,695

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,694 in Wanaka.

Lisbon $4,341
Wanaka $3,694

Living in Lisbon is roughly 30% more expensive than in Wanaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Wanaka 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.91

$13.97 NZ$24.80

19.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$57.1 NZ$101

8.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.17

$8.60 NZ$15.28

32.09%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$3.03 NZ$5.38

-1.98%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$1.71 NZ$3.04

33.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.91 NZ$3.38

-8.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$6.96 NZ$12.37

-51.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.96

$6.35 NZ$11.28

-47.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$2.12 NZ$3.76

-45.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.01 NZ$3.57

-4.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.79 NZ$3.17

-15.64%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$6.00 NZ$10.65

-33.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$8.51 NZ$15.10

52.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.96

$9.71 NZ$17.24

-19.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.91

$16.78 NZ$29.78

5.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.90 NZ$5.15

-20.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.14 NZ$3.79

-19.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$3.30 NZ$5.86

-43.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$5.10 NZ$9.06

-49.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.89 NZ$3.36

-3.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.78 NZ$3.16

10.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.28 NZ$4.05

-35.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.60 NZ$1.07

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$22.66 NZ$40.23

-70.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$8.85 NZ$15.71

-36.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$3.15 NZ$5.59

-56.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.26 NZ$2.24

69.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.01

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$5.83 NZ$10.34

-33.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.74

$28.08 NZ$49.85

-41.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.80 NZ$3.19

22.22%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$28.6K NZ$50.8K

19.42%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$23.0K NZ$40.9K

68.21%

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

$161 €144

$112 NZ$200

43.32%

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

$18.41 €16.49

$29.42 NZ$52.2

-37.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.32

$51.9 NZ$92.2

-36.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.90

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.10

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$11.57 NZ$20.54

-17.03%

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

$668 €598

$601 NZ$1,068

11.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$59.9 NZ$106

70.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.82

$35.14 NZ$62.4

26.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.2

$68.5 NZ$122

43.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$73.9 NZ$131

67.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,440

$971 NZ$1,723

65.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$806 NZ$1,430

47.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,519

$1,880 NZ$3,338

49.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,803

$1,656 NZ$2,940

21.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,021

$5,641 NZ$10.0K

38.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,098

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$4,352 NZ$7,727

-63.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

-3.75%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Wanaka: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Wanaka

$805 47.5% 32.3% $385

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Wanaka

$324 19.1% 19.1% $52

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Wanaka

$236 13.9% 2.7% $6.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Wanaka

$194 11.4% 8.7% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Wanaka

$107 6.3% 35.6% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Wanaka

$23 * 1.4% 63.7% $41

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Wanaka

$5.8 * 0.3% 90.8% $57

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $971 in Wanaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wanaka pays about 2.8 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $57 in Wanaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $324, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇳🇿 Wanaka

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

11:14 11:14 AM

13 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

11,600

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

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).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Wanaka 19,330 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Wanaka

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 Wanaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,696 in Wanaka, so Wanaka is about 23% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 64% lower in Lisbon. 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: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $971 in Wanaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,696 in Wanaka – Wanaka is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Wanaka gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.