Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,662 in Palmerston North versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,665 in Palmerston North versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,668 in Palmerston North versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Palmerston North costs roughly 27% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Palmerston North 24% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.84 NZ$28.83

$16.19 €14.17

4.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.5 NZ$124

$63.3 €55.4

14.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.04 NZ$20.62

$10.32 €9.03

16.67%

Cappuccino

$3.41 NZ$5.83

$2.83 €2.48

20.49%

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

$2.30 NZ$3.93

$2.29 €2.00

0.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 NZ$3.56

$1.58 €1.38

31.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 NZ$12.59

$3.40 €2.98

116.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 NZ$10.62

$4.03 €3.52

53.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 NZ$3.29

$1.09 €0.95

76.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 NZ$3.54

$1.75 €1.53

18.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.09

$1.76 €1.54

2.84%

Eggs

$5.28 NZ$9.03

$3.17 €2.77

66.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.19 NZ$14.03

$13.19 €11.54

-37.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.27 NZ$15.87

$7.97 €6.97

16.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.59 NZ$21.55

$15.53 €13.59

-18.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 NZ$4.27

$2.37 €2.07

5.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.13

$1.71 €1.49

7.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 NZ$4.16

$2.01 €1.76

20.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 NZ$5.96

$2.43 €2.13

43.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 NZ$3.65

$1.76 €1.54

21.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 NZ$3.69

$2.03 €1.78

6.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 NZ$3.49

$1.92 €1.68

6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 NZ$1.70

$0.85 €0.74

16.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.47 NZ$35.04

$6.58 €5.76

211.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.79 NZ$15.05

$5.58 €4.88

57.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 NZ$4.20

$1.33 €1.17

84.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 NZ$8.93

$2.97 €2.60

75.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 NZ$7.86

$2.28 €1.99

101.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.29 NZ$51.9

$45.79 €40.06

-33.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 NZ$4.07

$4.23 €3.70

-43.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 NZ$3.08

$0.81 €0.71

122.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.45 NZ$29.88

$18.44 €16.13

-5.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.81

$2.08 €1.82

-21.15%

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

$18.4K NZ$31.5K

$34.7K €30.3K

-46.97%

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

$21.8K NZ$37.3K

$39.2K €34.3K

-44.37%

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

$89.6 NZ$153

$148 €130

-39.47%

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

$36.80 NZ$63.0

$20.46 €17.90

79.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.79 NZ$81.8

$39.56 €34.61

20.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.51 NZ$60.8

$47.99 €41.99

-26.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.17 NZ$22.56

$18.60 €16.27

-29.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 NZ$15.65

$9.22 €8.07

-0.87%

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

$993 NZ$1,700

$616 €539

61.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,069 NZ$10.4K

$16.4K €14.4K

-63.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.9 NZ$97.5

$103 €89.9

-44.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.10 NZ$63.5

$41.74 €36.52

-11.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 NZ$158

$94.8 €82.9

-2.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 NZ$155

$122 €107

-25.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$844 NZ$1,445

$1,633 €1,428

-48.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 NZ$1,177

$1,232 €1,078

-44.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 NZ$2,688

$3,098 €2,711

-49.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 NZ$2,382

$2,031 €1,777

-31.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,125 NZ$3,638

$7,831 €6,851

-72.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,887 NZ$3,231

$4,389 €3,840

-57.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,576 NZ$4,411

$1,607 €1,406

60.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

3.81

75.59%

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

Last update for Palmerston North: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $844 in Palmerston North and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $73.0 in Palmerston North vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $267 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

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

Palmerston North and Lisbon differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,662 vs $2,291 including rent). Palmerston North is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 60% 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: $844 in Palmerston North versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $993 in Palmerston North 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 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,662 in Palmerston North versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $3,000 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 38% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.