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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,460 in Wellington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $3,478 in Wellington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $4,495 in Wellington.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 7% less than in Wellington, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Wellington 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.32

$14.42 NZ$25.17

21.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$66.7 NZ$117

-5.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.09

$9.20 NZ$16.05

25.87%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.37 NZ$5.88

-8.01%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.47 NZ$4.30

0.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.78 NZ$3.11

-2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$7.58 NZ$13.24

-54.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$6.76 NZ$11.79

-49.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.90 NZ$3.32

-39.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$2.21 NZ$3.86

-13.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.89 NZ$3.30

-20.63%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$7.04 NZ$12.29

-43.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.58

$9.58 NZ$16.72

38.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$9.68 NZ$16.90

-17.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.72

$15.39 NZ$26.86

17.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.20 NZ$5.59

-26.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$2.20 NZ$3.85

-20.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$3.13 NZ$5.46

-40.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$6.58 NZ$11.49

-61.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$2.20 NZ$3.84

-16.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.26 NZ$2.19

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$2.08 NZ$3.62

-28.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.22 NZ$2.14

-32.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$26.41 NZ$46.10

-73.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$11.68 NZ$20.39

-49.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$3.20 NZ$5.58

-59.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.82 NZ$4.92

-24.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$2.84 NZ$4.95

-16.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.61

$102 NZ$179

-54.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.95 NZ$3.41

109.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.84 NZ$3.21

-38.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.89

$35.32 NZ$61.7

-51.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.94 NZ$3.39

19.07%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$26.1K NZ$45.5K

30.96%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$26.2K NZ$45.8K

57.73%

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

$169 €147

$201 NZ$350

-15.99%

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

$19.33 €16.84

$33.20 NZ$58.0

-41.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.20

$54.6 NZ$95.3

-38.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.55

$39.64 NZ$69.2

23.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

$16.86 NZ$29.43

15.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$12.18 NZ$21.27

-21.43%

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

$696 €606

$1,109 NZ$1,935

-37.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$13.4K NZ$23.3K

29.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$80.1 NZ$140

31.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.60

$29.42 NZ$51.4

62.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$104 NZ$182

-3.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$159 NZ$278

-21.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,448

$1,235 NZ$2,156

34.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$1,176 NZ$2,054

5.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,583

$2,211 NZ$3,859

34.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,785

$1,750 NZ$3,055

17.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,825

$6,730 NZ$11.7K

16.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,889

$3,659 NZ$6,387

22.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,421

$2,864 NZ$5,000

-43.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

5.39

-29.87%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Wellington: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $1,235 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 76% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $67.0 in Wellington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $352 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 7% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $2,460 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 76% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $1,235 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $1,109 in Wellington. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,460 in Wellington, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.