Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Palmerston North: $1,562 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Palmerston North
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Palmerston North Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Palmerston North

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,562

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,562 in Palmerston North versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Palmerston North $1,562
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,537 in Palmerston North versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Palmerston North $2,537
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,511 in Palmerston North versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Palmerston North $3,511
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Palmerston North costs roughly 30% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Palmerston North 16% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.50 NZ$23.87

$16.50 €14.67

-18.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 NZ$113

$61.3 €54.5

3.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 NZ$15.56

$11.27 €10.03

-21.92%

Cappuccino

$3.13 NZ$5.54

$3.06 €2.72

2.29%

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

$2.36 NZ$4.18

$2.26 €2.01

4.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 NZ$2.97

$1.73 €1.54

-2.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 NZ$11.38

$3.39 €3.02

89.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 NZ$11.53

$3.40 €3.02

91.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.26

$1.12 €1.00

64.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 NZ$3.78

$1.86 €1.65

15.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 NZ$2.42

$1.53 €1.36

-10.46%

Eggs

$4.85 NZ$8.58

$3.96 €3.53

22.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 NZ$11.34

$12.76 €11.35

-49.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 NZ$16.80

$7.90 €7.02

20.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.78 NZ$19.06

$16.97 €15.09

-36.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 NZ$4.48

$2.27 €2.02

11.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

$1.75 €1.55

27.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$4.07

$1.85 €1.64

24.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 NZ$9.78

$2.57 €2.28

115.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 NZ$2.49

$1.86 €1.65

-24.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 NZ$1.53

$2.02 €1.80

-57.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 NZ$3.04

$1.44 €1.28

19.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 NZ$1.33

$0.82 €0.73

-8.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.06 NZ$39.00

$6.56 €5.83

236.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 NZ$13.99

$5.62 €5.00

40.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 NZ$4.69

$1.28 €1.14

107.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NZ$4.91

$2.07 €1.84

34.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 NZ$6.95

$2.35 €2.09

67.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 NZ$146

$44.18 €39.30

86.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$3.99 €3.55

-53.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

$1.09 €0.97

63.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 NZ$29.40

$16.64 €14.81

-0.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.90

$2.28 €2.03

-28.07%

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

$21.6K NZ$38.1K

$33.7K €30.0K

-35.96%

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

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

$39.3K €35.0K

-39.11%

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

$68.2 NZ$121

$167 €149

-59.27%

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

$32.09 NZ$56.8

$18.80 €16.72

70.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.64 NZ$61.3

$33.09 €29.43

4.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.79 NZ$38.54

$46.01 €40.93

-52.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.08 NZ$24.90

$19.19 €17.07

-26.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 NZ$20.52

$9.84 €8.75

17.89%

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

$1,034 NZ$1,829

$677 €602

52.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,550 NZ$15.1K

$16.9K €15.1K

-49.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 NZ$123

$101 €90.1

-31.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.70 NZ$48.98

$45.76 €40.70

-39.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 NZ$147

$100.0 €88.9

-16.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 NZ$146

$123 €109

-32.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 NZ$1,602

$1,614 €1,436

-43.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 NZ$1,129

$1,197 €1,065

-46.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 NZ$2,807

$2,862 €2,545

-44.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 NZ$2,318

$1,990 €1,770

-34.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,023 NZ$3,577

$7,577 €6,740

-73.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,836 NZ$3,247

$4,307 €3,831

-57.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,494 NZ$4,411

$1,588 €1,412

57.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

3.85

40.00%

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

Last update for Palmerston North: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Palmerston North

$639 40.9%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 87.4% $558

Groceries & Markets

Palmerston North

$283 18.1%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 4.9% $14

Eating Out

Palmerston North

$233 14.9%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 3.8% $8.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palmerston North

$135 8.6%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 62.6% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Palmerston North

$118 7.6%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 40.7% $48

Getting Around

Palmerston North

$109 7%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 42.1% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Palmerston North

$45 2.9%

Lisbon

$66 3% 46% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $906 in Palmerston North and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 57% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Palmerston North vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Palmerston North

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

13:30 1:30 PM

01:30 1:30 AM

12 h behind Palmerston North

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,500

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Palmerston North Lisbon 19,570 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Palmerston North
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

Palmerston North vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Palmerston North and Lisbon differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($1,562 vs $2,223 including rent). Palmerston North is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 57% higher in Palmerston North, 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: $906 in Palmerston North versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,034 in Palmerston North versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,562 in Palmerston North versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Palmerston North but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Palmerston North 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, Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.