Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Whangarei

For one person, living is cheaper in Whangarei: $1,458 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Whangarei
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$1,458
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Whangarei

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Whangarei actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $1,458 in Whangarei.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Whangarei $1,458

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $2,290 in Whangarei.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Whangarei $2,290

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $3,121 in Whangarei.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Whangarei $3,121

Living in Lisbon is roughly 51% more expensive than in Whangarei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Whangarei 8% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Whangarei
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.15
$12.15 NZ$21.49
40.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.4
$74.0 NZ$131
-15.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.80
$8.48 NZ$14.99
29.95%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.78
$3.32 NZ$5.88
-6.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.02 NZ$3.57
12.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.61 NZ$2.85
8.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.04
$6.01 NZ$10.62
-43.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$5.78 NZ$10.23
-35.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Whangarei
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.48 NZ$2.62
-20.95%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.24 NZ$2.20
50.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.68 NZ$2.97
-8.33%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$5.44 NZ$9.61
-25.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$5.51 NZ$9.74
134.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.03
$7.52 NZ$13.30
5.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.69
$15.29 NZ$27.04
15.37%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.56 NZ$4.52
-11.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$2.11 NZ$3.73
-17.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$2.90 NZ$5.13
-34.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$3.05 NZ$5.40
-16.07%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.28 NZ$4.04
-18.86%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.71 NZ$3.03
15.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$1.66 NZ$2.93
-12.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$1.17 NZ$2.07
-34.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.97
$25.92 NZ$45.84
-74.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
$9.81 NZ$17.35
-42.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$2.21 NZ$3.90
-38.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.88
$2.74 NZ$4.85
-22.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Whangarei
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$1.71 NZ$3.03
35.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.52
$130 NZ$230
-65.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.51
$3.63 NZ$6.42
8.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.93
$1.60 NZ$2.82
-34.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.26
$13.85 NZ$24.50
23.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.95
$1.74 NZ$3.07
25.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$28.9K NZ$51.1K
16.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$22.0K NZ$38.9K
74.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Whangarei
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$149 NZ$264
9.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.43
$27.61 NZ$48.83
-33.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.32
$50.2 NZ$88.7
-34.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Whangarei
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.80
$35.33 NZ$62.5
29.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.61
$2.85 NZ$5.04
555.44%
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.67
$10.25 NZ$18.13
-4.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Whangarei
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €608
$699 NZ$1,236
-2.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$23.1K NZ$40.8K
-23.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Whangarei
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.3
$71.7 NZ$127
44.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.09
$32.82 NZ$58.0
40.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €88.7
$70.1 NZ$124
42.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$90.9 NZ$161
37.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Whangarei
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,414
$426 NZ$754
272.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$414 NZ$732
182.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,536
$766 NZ$1,355
272.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,773
$739 NZ$1,307
169.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,932
$4,260 NZ$7,535
82.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,930
$3,263 NZ$5,770
35.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Whangarei
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,423
$2,346 NZ$4,149
-31.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
5.75
-33.04%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Whangarei: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Whangarei
$414 64.6% $755
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Whangarei
$275 0.7% $2
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Whangarei
$219 11.7% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Whangarei
$227 5.4% $12
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Whangarei
$119 29.1% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Whangarei
$56 14.6% $9.5
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Whangarei
$149 136% $86

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $426 in Whangarei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Whangarei pays 47% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $74.0 in Whangarei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $275 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇳🇿 Whangarei
🕒 Local time
15:18 3:18 PM
03:18 3:18 AM
12 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
54,300
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Whangarei 19,560 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Whangarei

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Whangarei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Whangarei?
Lisbon and Whangarei differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $1,458 including rent). Whangarei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 47% lower in Whangarei. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Whangarei?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $426 in Whangarei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Whangarei?
Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $699 in Whangarei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,458 in Whangarei versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Whangarei but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Whangarei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Whangarei?
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.
Is Lisbon or Whangarei safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Whangarei are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Whangarei?
Expats usually find Whangarei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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