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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,871 in Wanaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $2,918 in Wanaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $3,964 in Wanaka.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 22% more expensive than in Wanaka, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Wanaka 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$12.11 NZ$20.53

30.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$60.0 NZ$102

5.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$9.17 NZ$15.55

13.96%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$3.23 NZ$5.48

-9.91%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.74 NZ$2.94

31.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.99 NZ$3.37

-24.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$7.25 NZ$12.29

-50.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$5.86 NZ$9.93

-32.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$2.15 NZ$3.65

-49.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.89 NZ$3.20

-6.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.83 NZ$3.10

-7.10%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$5.67 NZ$9.61

-42.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$8.02 NZ$13.59

65.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$10.86 NZ$18.41

-29.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$12.88 NZ$21.83

22.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.93 NZ$4.97

-22.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.28 NZ$3.87

-27.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$3.32 NZ$5.62

-39.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$4.40 NZ$7.46

-43.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.90 NZ$3.22

-5.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$2.05 NZ$3.48

0.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$2.45 NZ$4.15

-19.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$1.10 NZ$1.87

-24.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$24.48 NZ$41.50

-73.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$9.39 NZ$15.91

-40.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.56 NZ$4.34

-48.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$3.75 NZ$6.36

-19.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$2.05 NZ$3.48

10.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$62.9 NZ$107

-26.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$2.69 NZ$4.55

57.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.13 NZ$1.92

-24.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$29.95 NZ$50.8

-37.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.71 NZ$2.89

18.13%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$19.7K NZ$33.3K

77.83%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$25.9K NZ$43.9K

53.19%

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

$148 €128

$101 NZ$172

45.89%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$35.40 NZ$60.0

-42.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$54.8 NZ$92.9

-27.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$42.49 NZ$72.0

13.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$12.00 NZ$20.35

53.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$9.73 NZ$16.49

-6.47%

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

$615 €532

$587 NZ$996

4.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$12.2K NZ$20.7K

33.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$65.6 NZ$111

54.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$34.53 NZ$58.5

21.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$73.5 NZ$125

25.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$79.1 NZ$134

54.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$1,043 NZ$1,768

54.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$838 NZ$1,420

49.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$1,980 NZ$3,356

55.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$1,765 NZ$2,993

15.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$4,902 NZ$8,311

58.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$3,414 NZ$5,787

25.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$4,419 NZ$7,492

-63.76%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Wanaka: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $1,043 in Wanaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wanaka pays 176% 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 $60.0 in Wanaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $323, 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 22% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,871 including rent). Wanaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 176% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $1,043 in Wanaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $587 in Wanaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,871 in Wanaka versus $2,280 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 22% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.