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: $1,860 in Nelson versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,868 in Nelson versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,876 in Nelson versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Nelson costs roughly 19% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nelson 36% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.35 NZ$25.09

$17.59 €15.33

-18.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 NZ$116

$62.9 €54.8

5.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 NZ$14.72

$11.58 €10.10

-27.29%

Cappuccino

$3.36 NZ$5.88

$3.10 €2.70

8.39%

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

$1.85 NZ$3.24

$2.49 €2.17

-25.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 NZ$3.05

$1.74 €1.52

0.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 NZ$13.17

$3.48 €3.03

116.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 NZ$9.86

$3.44 €3.00

63.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 NZ$3.48

$1.15 €1.00

73.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 NZ$3.82

$1.91 €1.66

14.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 NZ$3.43

$1.50 €1.31

30.67%

Eggs

$5.88 NZ$10.28

$3.98 €3.47

47.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 NZ$16.54

$13.29 €11.59

-28.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 NZ$13.74

$8.01 €6.98

-1.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.05 NZ$24.57

$18.04 €15.73

-22.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 NZ$5.41

$2.35 €2.05

31.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 NZ$4.01

$1.75 €1.53

30.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NZ$5.41

$1.85 €1.62

67.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.93 NZ$10.36

$2.55 €2.22

132.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 NZ$3.84

$1.84 €1.61

19.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 NZ$2.31

$2.10 €1.83

-37.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 NZ$3.58

$1.49 €1.30

37.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 NZ$1.84

$0.82 €0.71

28.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.03 NZ$45.51

$7.10 €6.19

266.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 NZ$16.73

$5.91 €5.15

61.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 NZ$5.64

$1.31 €1.15

145.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 NZ$5.03

$2.13 €1.86

35.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 NZ$3.99

$2.36 €2.05

-3.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 NZ$3.25

$4.08 €3.55

-54.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 NZ$3.31

$1.14 €0.99

65.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 NZ$61.6

$17.09 €14.90

106.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 NZ$2.90

$2.31 €2.01

-28.14%

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

$17.8K NZ$31.1K

$34.1K €29.7K

-47.95%

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

$22.5K NZ$39.3K

$41.4K €36.1K

-45.69%

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

$135 NZ$236

$169 €147

-20.02%

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

$32.58 NZ$57.0

$19.33 €16.85

68.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.95 NZ$69.8

$33.51 €29.21

19.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 NZ$101

$48.84 €42.57

18.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.24 NZ$59.9

$19.43 €16.94

76.22%

Cinema Ticket

$11.00 NZ$19.24

$9.57 €8.34

14.94%

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

$461 NZ$807

$696 €607

-33.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K NZ$22.9K

$17.4K €15.1K

-24.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 NZ$95.9

$105 €91.8

-47.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 NZ$50.0

$47.75 €41.62

-40.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NZ$185

$101 €87.6

5.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 NZ$254

$124 €108

16.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 NZ$1,831

$1,662 €1,449

-36.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 NZ$1,477

$1,246 €1,086

-32.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,770 NZ$3,094

$2,965 €2,584

-40.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 NZ$2,642

$2,049 €1,786

-26.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,439 NZ$2,516

$7,834 €6,829

-81.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$872 NZ$1,524

$4,464 €3,892

-80.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,148 NZ$3,756

$1,632 €1,422

31.68%

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 Nelson: September 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,047 in Nelson and $1,662 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: $66.0 in Nelson vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 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

Nelson vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nelson and Lisbon differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,860 vs $2,296 including rent). Nelson is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Nelson, 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: $1,047 in Nelson versus $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you'll spend $1,860 per month in Nelson versus $2,296 in Lisbon – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,860 in Nelson versus $2,296 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 23% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.