Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wellington Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wellington

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,277 in Wellington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $3,544 in Wellington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $4,812 in Wellington.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 1% more expensive than in Wellington, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Wellington 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$17.28 NZ$29.58

-6.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$85.1 NZ$146

-25.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$9.91 NZ$16.97

4.14%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.75 NZ$6.42

-24.53%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.61 NZ$4.46

-12.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.18 NZ$3.74

-27.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$7.17 NZ$12.28

-52.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$7.37 NZ$12.62

-45.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.80 NZ$3.09

-39.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.02 NZ$3.46

-13.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.91 NZ$3.27

-7.85%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$6.98 NZ$11.96

-54.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$7.95 NZ$13.61

65.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$11.26 NZ$19.28

-29.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$12.87 NZ$22.03

20.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.05 NZ$5.22

-22.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.36 NZ$4.03

-27.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.10 NZ$5.31

-35.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$4.81 NZ$8.23

-49.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.06 NZ$3.53

-14.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.57 NZ$2.68

29.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.25 NZ$3.86

-14.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.31 NZ$2.24

-35.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$26.06 NZ$44.63

-74.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$10.75 NZ$18.40

-48.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$3.65 NZ$6.25

-63.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.28 NZ$5.62

-9.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.69 NZ$4.61

-15.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$106 NZ$181

-56.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.76 NZ$4.73

53.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.84 NZ$3.15

-55.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$60.8 NZ$104

-69.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.65 NZ$2.82

26.06%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$33.3K NZ$57.1K

4.01%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$25.5K NZ$43.7K

53.37%

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

$148 €130

$160 NZ$274

-7.41%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$33.45 NZ$57.3

-38.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$51.5 NZ$88.2

-23.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$35.81 NZ$61.3

34.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$20.66 NZ$35.38

-9.97%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$11.85 NZ$20.28

-22.19%

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

$616 €539

$792 NZ$1,357

-22.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$13.0K NZ$22.2K

26.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$73.0 NZ$125

40.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$53.8 NZ$92.0

-22.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$119 NZ$203

-20.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$142 NZ$243

-14.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$1,303 NZ$2,230

25.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$1,094 NZ$1,874

12.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$2,101 NZ$3,597

47.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$1,902 NZ$3,257

6.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$6,864 NZ$11.8K

14.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$3,720 NZ$6,369

17.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$2,800 NZ$4,794

-42.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.94

-45.10%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Wellington: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $1,303 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 74% 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 $85.0 in Wellington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $339 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 Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Wellington differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $2,277 including rent). Wellington is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 74% lower in Wellington. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $1,303 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $792 in Wellington. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 27% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,277 in Wellington versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Wellington but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Wellington 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 Wellington 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 Wellington gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.