Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wollongong Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wollongong

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,897 in Wollongong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $2,781 in Wollongong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $3,665 in Wollongong.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 20% more expensive than in Wollongong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Wollongong 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$15.08 A$21.40

4.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$87.9 A$125

-27.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$9.64 A$13.68

8.40%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$3.29 A$4.67

-11.55%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$2.66 A$3.78

-13.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.23 A$3.16

-32.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$6.02 A$8.54

-40.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$7.46 A$10.59

-46.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.18 A$1.68

-8.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.20 A$3.13

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.56 A$2.21

8.97%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$3.51 A$4.99

-7.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$9.94 A$14.10

33.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$8.61 A$12.22

-10.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$14.16 A$20.10

11.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.84 A$4.03

-19.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.52 A$3.57

-34.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.35 A$3.33

-14.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$4.14 A$5.88

-40.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$2.04 A$2.89

-12.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.86 A$2.63

11.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$2.37 A$3.37

-16.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$1.02 A$1.45

-18.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$30.38 A$43.11

-78.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$14.02 A$19.89

-60.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.99 A$4.24

-55.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$3.63 A$5.15

-17.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$2.42 A$3.44

-6.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$46.84 A$66.5

-1.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$4.08 A$5.79

3.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.79 A$2.54

-52.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$40.04 A$56.8

-52.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.16 A$1.64

74.14%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$29.3K A$41.6K

19.34%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$22.6K A$32.1K

75.21%

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

$148 €128

$178 A$253

-17.01%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$28.00 A$39.72

-26.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$48.61 A$69.0

-18.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$75.6 A$107

-36.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$15.90 A$22.56

15.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$11.86 A$16.82

-23.27%

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

$615 €532

$1,571 A$2,229

-60.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$13.4K A$19.0K

21.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$59.5 A$84.4

70.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$55.7 A$79.0

-24.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$97.1 A$138

-4.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$111 A$157

10.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$970 A$1,376

66.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$802 A$1,138

56.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$1,916 A$2,719

60.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$1,047 A$1,485

94.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$4,523 A$6,417

71.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$3,641 A$5,166

17.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$4,490 A$6,370

-64.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.29

-39.43%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Wollongong: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $970 in Wollongong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wollongong pays 180% 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 $88.0 in Wollongong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $311 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 Wollongong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Wollongong differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,897 including rent). Wollongong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 180% lower in Wollongong. 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 $970 in Wollongong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $1,571 in Wollongong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,897 in Wollongong versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Wollongong but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Wollongong 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 Wollongong 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 Wollongong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.