Cost of Living Comparison Between Porirua and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Porirua and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,056 in Porirua versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,105 in Porirua versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,154 in Porirua versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Porirua costs roughly 9% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Porirua 49% above, Lisbon 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.71 NZ$25.30

$17.55 €15.12

-16.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 NZ$116

$64.5 €55.6

4.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 NZ$16.21

$11.65 €10.04

-19.06%

Cappuccino

$3.04 NZ$5.23

$3.26 €2.81

-6.75%

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

$2.61 NZ$4.49

$2.49 €2.15

4.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 NZ$3.08

$1.67 €1.44

7.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.57 NZ$13.01

$3.47 €2.99

118.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 NZ$12.02

$3.58 €3.08

95.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 NZ$3.34

$1.18 €1.02

64.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 NZ$3.83

$1.95 €1.68

14.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.36

$1.56 €1.35

25.00%

Eggs

$7.27 NZ$12.50

$4.01 €3.46

81.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.85 NZ$16.93

$13.27 €11.44

-25.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 NZ$17.29

$8.42 €7.26

19.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.83 NZ$27.22

$18.23 €15.72

-13.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 NZ$5.47

$2.32 €2.00

37.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 NZ$4.02

$1.73 €1.49

35.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 NZ$5.40

$1.93 €1.67

62.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.63 NZ$11.40

$2.64 €2.27

151.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 NZ$3.74

$1.90 €1.64

14.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 NZ$2.27

$2.11 €1.82

-37.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 NZ$3.66

$1.44 €1.24

47.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 NZ$2.10

$0.80 €0.69

52.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.51 NZ$45.57

$7.01 €6.04

278.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.69 NZ$20.09

$5.92 €5.11

97.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 NZ$5.60

$1.36 €1.18

139.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 NZ$5.18

$2.15 €1.85

40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 NZ$3.15

$2.38 €2.05

-23.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.4 NZ$147

$46.22 €39.85

84.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 NZ$3.38

$4.19 €3.61

-53.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NZ$3.31

$1.10 €0.95

74.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.71 NZ$61.4

$17.26 €14.88

106.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 NZ$2.89

$2.25 €1.94

-25.33%

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

$26.9K NZ$46.3K

$34.5K €29.7K

-21.85%

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

$26.3K NZ$45.3K

$41.6K €35.9K

-36.70%

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

$127 NZ$218

$171 €147

-25.82%

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

$33.22 NZ$57.1

$19.01 €16.38

74.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 NZ$96.5

$34.28 €29.55

63.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.09 NZ$70.6

$49.65 €42.80

-17.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$13.12 NZ$22.56

$10.10 €8.71

29.90%

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

$1,119 NZ$1,924

$699 €603

60.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K NZ$23.1K

$17.8K €15.3K

-24.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 NZ$143

$105 €90.2

-20.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.67 NZ$51.0

$47.97 €41.35

-38.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 NZ$186

$102 €87.8

6.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 NZ$275

$128 €111

24.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$959 NZ$1,649

$1,661 €1,432

-42.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$865 NZ$1,487

$1,228 €1,059

-29.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,705 NZ$2,931

$2,915 €2,513

-41.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 NZ$2,634

$2,023 €1,744

-24.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,119 NZ$8,801

$8,129 €7,007

-37.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,463 NZ$5,954

$4,635 €3,996

-25.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,974 NZ$5,113

$1,619 €1,396

83.68%

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 Porirua: September 6, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $959 in Porirua and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Porirua pays 84% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Porirua vs $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $281 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

Porirua vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Porirua and Lisbon differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,056 vs $2,268 including rent). Porirua is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 84% higher in Porirua, 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: $959 in Porirua versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,119 in Porirua versus $699 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,056 in Porirua versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Porirua but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Porirua 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, Porirua 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 Porirua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.