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: $1,529 in Masterton versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,449 in Masterton versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,368 in Masterton versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Masterton costs roughly 33% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Masterton 14% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 NZ$17.21

$16.19 €14.15

-37.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 NZ$158

$63.3 €55.3

45.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.00 NZ$15.39

$10.32 €9.02

-12.79%

Cappuccino

$3.23 NZ$5.53

$2.83 €2.47

14.13%

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

$2.13 NZ$3.64

$2.29 €2.00

-6.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 NZ$2.84

$1.58 €1.38

5.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 NZ$6.12

$3.40 €2.97

5.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 NZ$7.07

$4.03 €3.52

2.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 NZ$2.56

$1.09 €0.95

37.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 NZ$2.75

$1.75 €1.53

-8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 NZ$2.07

$1.76 €1.54

-31.25%

Eggs

$6.12 NZ$10.47

$3.17 €2.77

93.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.24 NZ$12.39

$13.19 €11.53

-45.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 NZ$15.27

$7.97 €6.96

12.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.43 NZ$21.27

$15.53 €13.57

-19.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.76 NZ$3.01

$2.37 €2.07

-25.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.19

$1.71 €1.49

8.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 NZ$4.21

$2.01 €1.75

22.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 NZ$5.86

$2.43 €2.12

40.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 NZ$2.40

$1.76 €1.54

-20.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 NZ$2.07

$2.03 €1.78

-40.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 NZ$3.03

$1.92 €1.68

-7.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 NZ$1.52

$0.85 €0.74

4.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.72 NZ$35.45

$6.58 €5.75

214.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.76 NZ$18.42

$5.58 €4.87

92.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 NZ$3.86

$1.33 €1.16

69.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 NZ$4.68

$2.97 €2.60

-8.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 NZ$4.22

$2.28 €1.99

7.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.8 NZ$108

$45.79 €40.01

37.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 NZ$4.22

$4.23 €3.69

-41.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 NZ$3.18

$0.81 €0.71

129.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.59 NZ$71.2

$18.44 €16.11

125.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 NZ$2.79

$2.08 €1.82

-21.63%

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

$24.5K NZ$41.9K

$34.7K €30.3K

-29.28%

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

$22.9K NZ$39.2K

$39.2K €34.2K

-41.42%

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

$81.2 NZ$139

$148 €129

-45.19%

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

$32.37 NZ$55.4

$20.46 €17.88

58.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.52 NZ$81.3

$39.56 €34.56

20.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.20 NZ$70.5

$47.99 €41.93

-14.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.82 NZ$15.10

$18.60 €16.25

-52.58%

Cinema Ticket

$8.32 NZ$14.23

$9.22 €8.06

-9.76%

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

$397 NZ$679

$616 €538

-35.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,782 NZ$8,181

$16.4K €14.4K

-70.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 NZ$120

$103 €89.7

-31.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.18 NZ$51.6

$41.74 €36.47

-27.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NZ$178

$94.8 €82.8

9.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 NZ$194

$122 €107

-7.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$794 NZ$1,359

$1,633 €1,426

-51.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 NZ$1,034

$1,232 €1,077

-50.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 NZ$2,111

$3,098 €2,707

-60.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 NZ$1,854

$2,031 €1,775

-46.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,458 NZ$4,205

$1,607 €1,404

52.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

3.81

75.59%

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

Last update for Masterton: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $794 in Masterton and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Masterton pays 53% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $92.0 in Masterton vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $267 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 50% in total monthly costs ($1,529 vs $2,291 including rent). Masterton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 53% higher in Masterton, 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: $794 in Masterton versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $397 in Masterton versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,529 in Masterton versus $2,291 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 50% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.