Cost of Living Comparison Between Nelson and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Nelson and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,035 in Nelson versus $2,227 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,074 in Nelson versus $3,305 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,112 in Nelson versus $4,384 in Lisbon.

Living in Nelson costs roughly 9% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nelson 52% above, Lisbon 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.24 NZ$36.11

$16.17 €13.81

31.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.8 NZ$141

$64.6 €55.1

28.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.53 NZ$16.20

$10.38 €8.86

-8.19%

Cappuccino

$3.22 NZ$5.48

$2.77 €2.37

16.25%

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

$2.57 NZ$4.37

$2.25 €1.92

14.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NZ$4.52

$1.57 €1.34

69.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 NZ$12.06

$3.49 €2.98

103.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 NZ$10.17

$4.00 €3.42

49.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NZ$4.08

$1.08 €0.93

122.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 NZ$3.77

$1.74 €1.49

27.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 NZ$3.82

$1.74 €1.48

29.31%

Eggs

$6.04 NZ$10.26

$3.18 €2.71

89.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 NZ$17.25

$13.43 €11.47

-24.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 NZ$13.44

$7.99 €6.83

-1.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.01 NZ$27.21

$16.09 €13.74

-0.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 NZ$6.17

$2.28 €1.95

59.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 NZ$4.37

$1.72 €1.47

49.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 NZ$5.33

$1.94 €1.66

61.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.49 NZ$11.04

$2.54 €2.17

155.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.84 NZ$6.52

$1.83 €1.56

109.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 NZ$4.43

$2.04 €1.74

27.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 NZ$4.30

$1.98 €1.69

27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 NZ$2.10

$0.85 €0.73

44.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.93 NZ$50.9

$6.85 €5.85

336.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.16 NZ$17.28

$5.78 €4.93

75.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 NZ$5.30

$1.37 €1.17

127.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 NZ$7.85

$2.90 €2.48

59.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 NZ$4.05

$2.28 €1.95

4.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 NZ$109

$46.84 €40.00

37.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.18 NZ$7.10

$4.08 €3.48

2.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 NZ$3.07

$0.82 €0.70

120.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.59 NZ$58.8

$18.27 €15.60

89.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.94

$2.01 €1.71

-13.93%

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

$18.3K NZ$31.1K

$35.3K €30.1K

-48.14%

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

$22.1K NZ$37.5K

$38.5K €32.9K

-42.71%

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

$223 NZ$379

$145 €124

53.40%

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

$35.98 NZ$61.2

$20.96 €17.90

71.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.4 NZ$85.7

$40.05 €34.21

25.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.12 NZ$81.8

$48.79 €41.66

-1.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.17 NZ$35.99

$18.69 €15.97

13.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 NZ$17.32

$9.06 €7.74

12.47%

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

$487 NZ$828

$607 €518

-19.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NZ$20.7K

$16.3K €13.9K

-25.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 NZ$101

$105 €89.4

-43.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.4 NZ$113

$40.95 €34.97

62.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 NZ$227

$93.6 €79.9

42.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 NZ$190

$119 €101

-5.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$966 NZ$1,643

$1,604 €1,370

-39.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 NZ$1,239

$1,236 €1,055

-40.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 NZ$2,402

$3,046 €2,601

-53.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 NZ$2,041

$2,057 €1,756

-41.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,870 NZ$6,579

$7,709 €6,583

-49.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,143 NZ$5,342

$4,266 €3,644

-26.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,089 NZ$3,552

$1,584 €1,353

31.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

3.81

79.00%

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

Last update for Nelson: April 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $966 in Nelson and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nelson pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $83.0 in Nelson vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $271 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

Nelson vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nelson and Lisbon differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,035 vs $2,227 including rent). Nelson is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Nelson pays 32% more on average, 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: $966 in Nelson versus $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $487 in Nelson versus $607 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 34% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,035 in Nelson versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nelson but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Nelson 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, Nelson 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 Nelson gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.