Cost of Living Comparison Between Masterton and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Masterton and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $867 in Masterton versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,478 in Masterton versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,089 in Masterton versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Masterton costs roughly 62% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Masterton is 37% below, Lisbon is 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.94 NZ$17.28

$17.59 €15.24

-43.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.8 NZ$116

$62.9 €54.5

6.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.59 NZ$14.93

$11.58 €10.04

-25.82%

Cappuccino

$3.30 NZ$5.74

$3.10 €2.69

6.45%

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

$2.07 NZ$3.60

$2.49 €2.16

-16.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 NZ$2.05

$1.74 €1.51

-32.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 NZ$6.85

$3.48 €3.02

13.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 NZ$6.14

$3.44 €2.98

2.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 NZ$2.58

$1.15 €0.99

28.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 NZ$3.91

$1.91 €1.65

17.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 NZ$1.86

$1.50 €1.30

-28.67%

Eggs

$6.32 NZ$10.98

$3.98 €3.45

58.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.78 NZ$15.27

$13.29 €11.52

-33.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 NZ$17.80

$8.01 €6.94

27.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.78 NZ$27.44

$18.04 €15.64

-12.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$4.10

$2.35 €2.04

0.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.11

$1.75 €1.52

2.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.16 NZ$5.50

$1.85 €1.61

70.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 NZ$8.16

$2.55 €2.21

84.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 NZ$2.69

$1.84 €1.60

-15.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 NZ$2.01

$2.10 €1.82

-44.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 NZ$3.09

$1.49 €1.29

19.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 NZ$0.87

$0.82 €0.71

-39.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.84 NZ$34.50

$7.10 €6.15

179.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.37 NZ$19.77

$5.91 €5.12

92.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 NZ$1.56

$1.31 €1.14

-31.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 NZ$2.07

$2.13 €1.85

-44.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 NZ$4.10

$2.36 €2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.40

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 NZ$3.25

$4.08 €3.53

-54.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 NZ$3.15

$1.14 €0.99

58.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.33 NZ$59.7

$17.09 €14.81

100.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 NZ$3.02

$2.31 €2.00

-24.68%

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

$23.4K NZ$40.7K

$34.1K €29.6K

-31.36%

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

$25.5K NZ$44.3K

$41.4K €35.9K

-38.47%

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

$57.7 NZ$100

$169 €146

-65.75%

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

$31.00 NZ$53.9

$19.33 €16.75

60.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 NZ$94.9

$33.51 €29.04

62.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.22 NZ$75.1

$48.84 €42.32

-11.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.33 NZ$14.48

$19.43 €16.84

-57.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.70 NZ$16.86

$9.57 €8.29

1.36%

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

$1,069 NZ$1,859

$696 €603

53.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K NZ$23.1K

$17.4K €15.0K

-23.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 NZ$99.1

$105 €91.3

-45.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.98 NZ$50.4

$47.75 €41.38

-39.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NZ$182

$101 €87.1

3.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 NZ$247

$124 €108

14.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,440

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,080

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 NZ$1,795

$2,965 €2,569

-65.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,775

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,789

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,869

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,429 NZ$4,224

$1,632 €1,414

48.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

3.78

42.59%

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

Last update for Masterton: September 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Masterton pays 49% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Masterton vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $277 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

Masterton vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Masterton and Lisbon differ by about 165% in total monthly costs ($867 vs $2,296 including rent). Masterton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 49% higher in Masterton, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $867 per month in Masterton versus $2,296 in Lisbon – a 165% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $867 in Masterton versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Masterton but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Masterton 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, Masterton and Lisbon 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 Masterton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 165% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.