Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wollongong

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $2,577 in Wollongong, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Wollongong
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Wollongong Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Wollongong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,577

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Wollongong

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 Wollongong actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $2,577 in Wollongong.

Lisbon $2,206
Wollongong $2,577

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $3,790 in Wollongong.

Lisbon $3,276
Wollongong $3,790

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $5,004 in Wollongong.

Lisbon $4,346
Wollongong $5,004

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 14% less than in Wollongong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, Wollongong 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.04

$17.42 A$24.99

-3.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.5

$84.9 A$122

-28.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.80

$10.63 A$15.25

3.29%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.72

$3.53 A$5.07

-13.60%

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

$2.28 €2.04

$3.33 A$4.77

-31.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$2.17 A$3.12

-22.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.07

$7.20 A$10.33

-52.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.48

$7.21 A$10.34

-45.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.14 A$1.63

0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$2.91 A$4.18

-35.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$2.23 A$3.20

-32.74%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.67

$3.93 A$5.64

4.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.60

$10.44 A$14.97

24.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.18

$9.65 A$13.85

-16.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.96

$16.02 A$22.98

11.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.03

$3.04 A$4.36

-25.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.50 A$3.58

-30.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$3.35 A$4.80

-45.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.40

$4.49 A$6.44

-40.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.58

$2.39 A$3.43

-25.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$2.57 A$3.68

-24.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$2.88 A$4.13

-49.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$1.83 A$2.63

-58.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.94

$44.34 A$63.6

-84.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.03

$13.97 A$20.04

-59.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$4.56 A$6.54

-71.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$4.70 A$6.75

-54.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.29 A$3.29

0.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.26

$140 A$201

-68.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.55

$3.63 A$5.21

9.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$1.87 A$2.68

-65.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.88

$46.72 A$67.0

-59.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.34 A$1.92

70.15%

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

$33.4K €29.8K

$29.5K A$42.3K

13.09%

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

$38.5K €34.3K

$24.7K A$35.4K

56.08%

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

$158 €141

$238 A$342

-33.65%

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

$17.54 €15.64

$31.92 A$45.80

-45.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.82

$49.91 A$71.6

-37.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.82

$85.5 A$123

-47.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.93

$13.93 A$19.99

36.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.54

$13.47 A$19.33

-28.88%

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

$674 €601

$2,144 A$3,076

-68.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.7K

$12.6K A$18.1K

48.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.2

$69.8 A$100

46.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €40.94

$61.6 A$88.4

-25.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.2

$145 A$208

-29.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$111 A$159

10.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,463

$1,427 A$2,048

14.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,059

$1,157 A$1,659

2.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,519

$2,413 A$3,461

17.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,800

$1,879 A$2,696

7.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €6,989

$4,592 A$6,588

70.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,193

$3,562 A$5,110

31.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,505

$5,227 A$7,499

-67.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

5.23

-26.96%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Wollongong: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Wollongong

$1.2K 44.9% 2.6% $31

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Wollongong

$365 14.2% 32.8% $90

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Wollongong

$286 11.1% 16.6% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Wollongong

$320 12.4% 54.8% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Wollongong

$174 6.8% 4% $6.7

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Wollongong

$112 4.4% 76.3% $49

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Wollongong

$162 6.3% 169% $102

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $1,427 in Wollongong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wollongong pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $85 in Wollongong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $365 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇦🇺 Wollongong

🕒 Local time

20:43 8:43 PM

07:43 7:43 AM

11 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

280,153

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 AUD = 0.697 USD

1 AUD = 0.619 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.697 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.619 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Wollongong 18,170 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
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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 Wollongong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $2,577 in Wollongong, so Lisbon is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 68% lower in Lisbon. 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: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $1,427 in Wollongong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $674 in Lisbon versus $2,144 in Wollongong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Wollongong. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lisbon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Wollongong on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.