Cost of Living Comparison Between Paihia and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Paihia and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,914 in Paihia versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,880 in Paihia versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,846 in Paihia versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Paihia costs roughly 16% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Paihia 43% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.93 NZ$25.54

$16.19 €14.15

-7.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.22 NZ$62.0

$63.3 €55.3

-42.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.86 NZ$15.17

$10.32 €9.02

-14.15%

Cappuccino

$3.55 NZ$6.07

$2.83 €2.47

25.44%

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

$2.37 NZ$4.05

$2.29 €2.00

3.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 NZ$3.80

$1.58 €1.38

40.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.31 NZ$12.51

$3.40 €2.97

115.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 NZ$12.34

$4.03 €3.52

78.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.96

$1.09 €0.95

58.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 NZ$3.64

$1.75 €1.53

21.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 NZ$3.43

$1.76 €1.54

13.64%

Eggs

$6.68 NZ$11.42

$3.17 €2.77

110.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.60 NZ$14.72

$13.19 €11.53

-34.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.67 NZ$16.55

$7.97 €6.96

21.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.21 NZ$22.60

$15.53 €13.57

-14.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 NZ$4.93

$2.37 €2.07

21.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 NZ$3.80

$1.71 €1.49

29.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 NZ$5.49

$2.01 €1.75

59.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 NZ$6.82

$2.43 €2.12

63.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.39

$1.76 €1.54

12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 NZ$2.92

$2.03 €1.78

-15.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 NZ$3.39

$1.92 €1.68

3.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 NZ$2.12

$0.85 €0.74

45.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.67 NZ$43.92

$6.58 €5.75

290.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.44 NZ$17.87

$5.58 €4.87

87.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 NZ$5.18

$1.33 €1.16

127.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 NZ$6.83

$2.97 €2.60

34.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 NZ$3.70

$2.28 €1.99

-5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.3 NZ$110

$45.79 €40.01

40.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.80 NZ$3.08

$4.23 €3.69

-57.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 NZ$3.41

$0.81 €0.71

145.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.61 NZ$60.9

$18.44 €16.11

93.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.92

$2.08 €1.82

-17.79%

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

$27.9K NZ$47.7K

$34.7K €30.3K

-19.66%

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

$22.5K NZ$38.5K

$39.2K €34.2K

-42.58%

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

$143 NZ$245

$148 €129

-3.13%

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

$30.72 NZ$52.6

$20.46 €17.88

50.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.69 NZ$83.3

$39.56 €34.56

23.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.40 NZ$62.3

$47.99 €41.93

-24.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 NZ$20.52

$18.60 €16.25

-35.54%

Cinema Ticket

$14.99 NZ$25.64

$9.22 €8.06

62.58%

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

$897 NZ$1,535

$616 €538

45.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K NZ$23.5K

$16.4K €14.4K

-16.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 NZ$118

$103 €89.7

-32.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.96 NZ$85.5

$41.74 €36.47

19.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 NZ$166

$94.8 €82.8

2.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 NZ$213

$122 €107

2.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 NZ$1,675

$1,633 €1,426

-40.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 NZ$1,323

$1,232 €1,077

-37.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 NZ$2,719

$3,098 €2,707

-48.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,437 NZ$2,458

$2,031 €1,775

-29.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,278 NZ$9,030

$7,831 €6,842

-32.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,729 NZ$6,380

$4,389 €3,835

-15.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

3.81

67.19%

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

Last update for Paihia: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $979 in Paihia and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Paihia vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $324 vs $267, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Paihia vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Paihia and Lisbon differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,914 vs $2,291 including rent). Paihia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,871 in Paihia and $3,437 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $979 in Paihia versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $897 in Paihia 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 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,914 in Paihia versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Paihia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Paihia 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, Paihia 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 Paihia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.