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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,724 in Wanaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,700 in Wanaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,676 in Wanaka.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 33% more expensive than in Wanaka, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Wanaka 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$14.72 NZ$25.74

19.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$56.9 NZ$99.5

10.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$8.90 NZ$15.55

30.11%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.22 NZ$5.63

-3.73%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.74 NZ$3.05

43.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.98 NZ$3.46

-12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$7.05 NZ$12.33

-50.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$6.30 NZ$11.01

-45.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$2.21 NZ$3.87

-47.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$2.00 NZ$3.50

-4.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.82 NZ$3.19

-17.58%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$6.09 NZ$10.64

-34.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$8.67 NZ$15.15

53.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$9.45 NZ$16.51

-15.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$16.98 NZ$29.69

6.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.08 NZ$5.38

-23.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.18 NZ$3.81

-19.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$3.33 NZ$5.82

-44.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$5.32 NZ$9.30

-52.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.86 NZ$3.25

-1.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.88 NZ$3.29

11.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$2.35 NZ$4.10

-36.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.57 NZ$1.00

43.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$23.37 NZ$40.85

-69.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$9.15 NZ$15.99

-35.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$3.17 NZ$5.54

-58.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.26 NZ$2.21

69.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$5.74 NZ$10.03

-28.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$28.31 NZ$49.50

-39.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.75 NZ$3.05

32.00%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$25.7K NZ$44.9K

32.98%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$25.6K NZ$44.8K

61.40%

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

$169 €147

$113 NZ$198

48.97%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$29.86 NZ$52.2

-35.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$53.5 NZ$93.6

-37.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$10.43 NZ$18.23

-8.25%

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

$696 €607

$597 NZ$1,044

16.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$60.8 NZ$106

73.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$35.83 NZ$62.6

33.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$68.6 NZ$120

46.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$74.3 NZ$130

67.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$1,014 NZ$1,772

63.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$825 NZ$1,443

51.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,940 NZ$3,391

52.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$1,669 NZ$2,917

22.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$5,853 NZ$10.2K

33.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$4,369 NZ$7,638

-62.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-5.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Wanaka: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $1,014 in Wanaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wanaka pays 168% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $57.0 in Wanaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $329, 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 33% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,724 including rent). Wanaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 168% lower in Wanaka. 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $1,014 in Wanaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $1,724 in Wanaka – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,724 in Wanaka versus $2,296 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 33% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.