Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Whanganui Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Whanganui

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,701 in Whanganui.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $2,719 in Whanganui.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $3,737 in Whanganui.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 31% more expensive than Whanganui, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Whanganui 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$15.09 NZ$25.80

7.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$71.7 NZ$123

-9.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$8.94 NZ$15.28

16.11%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$3.25 NZ$5.55

-14.77%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$2.38 NZ$4.07

-5.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.66 NZ$2.84

-5.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$4.85 NZ$8.29

-28.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$5.27 NZ$9.01

-24.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.73 NZ$2.96

-37.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.65 NZ$2.82

5.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.99 NZ$3.40

-12.56%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$5.88 NZ$10.06

-45.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$7.49 NZ$12.81

79.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$9.31 NZ$15.92

-14.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$12.52 NZ$21.42

28.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.38 NZ$4.07

-4.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.90 NZ$3.25

-9.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$2.53 NZ$4.33

-23.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$3.41 NZ$5.84

-25.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.17 NZ$3.71

-15.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.16 NZ$3.70

-5.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$2.05 NZ$3.51

-3.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.56 NZ$0.96

51.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$20.65 NZ$35.32

-66.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$10.53 NZ$18.01

-45.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.53 NZ$4.33

-45.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.62 NZ$4.49

10.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.14 NZ$3.66

6.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$64.2 NZ$110

-27.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$2.78 NZ$4.75

46.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.86 NZ$3.18

-55.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$35.68 NZ$61.0

-48.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.73 NZ$2.95

16.18%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$27.7K NZ$47.3K

27.42%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$23.2K NZ$39.7K

65.73%

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

$145 €124

$117 NZ$200

24.63%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$36.89 NZ$63.1

-43.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$48.38 NZ$82.7

-17.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$36.83 NZ$63.0

32.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$12.17 NZ$20.81

53.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$7.45 NZ$12.73

21.61%

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

$607 €519

$362 NZ$620

67.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$12.3K NZ$21.0K

33.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$68.5 NZ$117

52.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$36.87 NZ$63.1

11.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$97.0 NZ$166

-3.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$126 NZ$216

-6.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$1,226 NZ$2,097

30.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$716 NZ$1,224

72.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$1,596 NZ$2,729

90.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$1,362 NZ$2,329

50.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$1,407 NZ$2,406

12.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.69

-43.05%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Whanganui: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $1,226 in Whanganui. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 13% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $72.0 in Whanganui for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $287 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 Whanganui: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Whanganui differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,701 including rent). Whanganui is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 13% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $1,226 in Whanganui. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $362 in Whanganui. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,701 in Whanganui versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Whanganui but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Whanganui 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 Whanganui 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 Whanganui gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.