Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newcastle and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $2,566 in Newcastle, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Newcastle
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,566
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Newcastle and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Newcastle and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,566 in Newcastle versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Newcastle $2,566
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,780 in Newcastle versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Newcastle $3,780
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,995 in Newcastle versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Newcastle $4,995
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Newcastle is roughly 15% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Newcastle 90% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Newcastle
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 A$29.89
$16.50 €14.67
25.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$102 A$147
$61.3 €54.5
67.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.48 A$15.08
$11.27 €10.03
-7.01%
Cappuccino
$3.84 A$5.52
$3.06 €2.72
25.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 A$4.69
$2.26 €2.01
44.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.81 A$2.61
$1.73 €1.54
4.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.98 A$12.93
$3.39 €3.02
164.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.02 A$10.11
$3.40 €3.02
106.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Newcastle
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.48 A$2.13
$1.12 €1.00
32.14%
White Bread (500g)
$2.67 A$3.84
$1.86 €1.65
43.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.00 A$2.88
$1.53 €1.36
30.72%
Eggs
$4.60 A$6.63
$3.96 €3.53
16.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.51 A$15.12
$12.76 €11.35
-17.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.82 A$12.69
$7.90 €7.02
11.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.53 A$22.34
$16.97 €15.09
-8.49%
Apples (1kg)
$3.43 A$4.94
$2.27 €2.02
51.10%
Banana (1kg)
$2.86 A$4.12
$1.75 €1.55
63.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.90 A$4.17
$1.85 €1.64
56.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.32 A$6.22
$2.57 €2.28
68.09%
Potato (1kg)
$2.98 A$4.29
$1.86 €1.65
60.22%
Onion (1kg)
$2.43 A$3.49
$2.02 €1.80
20.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.38 A$3.42
$1.44 €1.28
65.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.45 A$2.08
$0.82 €0.73
76.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$31.68 A$45.58
$6.56 €5.83
382.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.42 A$15.00
$5.62 €5.00
85.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.42 A$6.36
$1.28 €1.14
245.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 A$4.85
$2.07 €1.84
62.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Newcastle
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.71 A$3.90
$2.35 €2.09
15.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$152 A$218
$44.18 €39.30
242.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.39 A$3.44
$3.99 €3.55
-40.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.55 A$2.23
$1.09 €0.97
42.20%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.68 A$58.5
$16.64 €14.81
144.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.23 A$1.78
$2.28 €2.03
-46.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.2K A$44.8K
$33.7K €30.0K
-7.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.8K A$42.9K
$39.3K €35.0K
-24.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Newcastle
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$217 A$312
$167 €149
29.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.01 A$37.43
$18.80 €16.72
38.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.2 A$80.8
$33.09 €29.43
69.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Newcastle
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.21 A$62.2
$46.01 €40.93
-6.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.53 A$25.23
$19.19 €17.07
-8.65%
Cinema Ticket
$13.78 A$19.84
$9.84 €8.75
40.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Newcastle
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,206 A$3,175
$677 €602
225.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.5K A$19.5K
$16.9K €15.1K
-19.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Newcastle
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$81.6 A$117
$101 €90.1
-19.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.35 A$66.7
$45.76 €40.70
1.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 A$167
$100.0 €88.9
16.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 A$169
$123 €109
-4.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Newcastle
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,532 A$2,205
$1,614 €1,436
-5.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 A$1,713
$1,197 €1,065
-0.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,444 A$3,517
$2,862 €2,545
-14.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,841 A$2,649
$1,990 €1,770
-7.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.3K A$19.2K
$7,577 €6,740
75.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,815 A$8,367
$4,307 €3,831
35.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Newcastle
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,030 A$4,361
$1,588 €1,412
90.86%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.55
3.85
70.13%

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

Last update for Newcastle: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Newcastle
$1.2K
Lisbon
$1.2K 0.6% $6.8
Groceries & Markets
Newcastle
$348
Lisbon
$269 22.6% $79
Eating Out
Newcastle
$323
Lisbon
$242 25% $81
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Newcastle
$299
Lisbon
$219 26.6% $79
Getting Around
Newcastle
$173
Lisbon
$63 63.5% $110
Clothing & Footwear
Newcastle
$163
Lisbon
$166 2.3% $3.8
Sport & Entertainment
Newcastle
$71
Lisbon
$66 7.2% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,532 in Newcastle and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Newcastle pays 91% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $102 in Newcastle vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Newcastle
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
20:08 8:08 PM
10:08 10:08 AM
10 h behind Newcastle
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
508,437
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Newcastle Lisbon 18,180 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Newcastle
  • Lisbon

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
Newcastle vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Newcastle and in Lisbon?
Newcastle and Lisbon differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($2,566 vs $2,223 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Newcastle or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 91% higher in Newcastle, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Newcastle and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,532 in Newcastle versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Newcastle and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $2,206 in Newcastle versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Newcastle. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,566 in Newcastle, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Newcastle. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Newcastle and Lisbon?
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.
Is Newcastle or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Newcastle 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.
Where should expats move: Newcastle or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Newcastle. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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