Cost of Living Comparison Between Queenstown and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Queenstown and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,730 in Queenstown versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,283 in Queenstown versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,836 in Queenstown versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Queenstown is roughly 24% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Queenstown 104% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.92 NZ$25.19

$15.91 €13.69

-6.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 NZ$144

$64.8 €55.7

31.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 NZ$15.99

$10.51 €9.04

-9.90%

Cappuccino

$3.50 NZ$5.90

$2.87 €2.47

21.95%

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

$2.45 NZ$4.14

$2.24 €1.93

9.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 NZ$3.95

$1.50 €1.29

56.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 NZ$12.03

$3.49 €3.00

104.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 NZ$9.96

$3.88 €3.34

52.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 NZ$3.84

$1.14 €0.98

99.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NZ$3.46

$1.75 €1.51

17.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 NZ$4.24

$1.76 €1.51

42.61%

Eggs

$6.29 NZ$10.62

$3.22 €2.77

95.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 NZ$17.10

$13.49 €11.61

-24.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.72 NZ$18.10

$7.91 €6.81

35.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.79 NZ$28.34

$15.87 €13.65

5.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 NZ$5.32

$2.31 €1.99

36.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 NZ$4.18

$1.70 €1.46

45.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 NZ$7.01

$2.01 €1.73

106.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.83 NZ$9.84

$2.46 €2.12

136.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 NZ$4.54

$1.84 €1.59

46.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 NZ$3.95

$2.00 €1.72

17.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NZ$4.73

$1.93 €1.66

45.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 NZ$1.85

$0.79 €0.68

39.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.38 NZ$49.60

$6.61 €5.68

344.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 NZ$17.38

$5.72 €4.92

79.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.85 NZ$8.19

$1.37 €1.17

254.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.85 NZ$11.57

$2.97 €2.56

130.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 NZ$4.64

$2.37 €2.04

16.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$128 NZ$216

$45.56 €39.19

180.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 NZ$4.75

$4.29 €3.69

-34.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 NZ$3.07

$0.82 €0.70

121.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.15 NZ$52.6

$18.30 €15.74

70.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.83

$2.06 €1.78

-18.93%

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

$30.0K NZ$50.7K

$34.3K €29.5K

-12.34%

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

$17.9K NZ$30.2K

$39.3K €33.8K

-54.52%

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

$282 NZ$477

$148 €127

90.99%

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

$40.45 NZ$68.3

$20.52 €17.65

97.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.3 NZ$105

$39.61 €34.08

57.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 NZ$97.3

$47.85 €41.16

20.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 NZ$41.89

$18.92 €16.28

31.13%

Cinema Ticket

$13.14 NZ$22.19

$9.18 €7.90

43.14%

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

$490 NZ$827

$614 €528

-20.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,906 NZ$11.7K

$16.0K €13.8K

-56.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 NZ$148

$105 €90.0

-15.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 NZ$84.4

$42.06 €36.18

18.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 NZ$166

$94.0 €80.8

4.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$278 NZ$469

$120 €103

132.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,461 NZ$2,466

$1,628 €1,400

-10.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 NZ$2,192

$1,255 €1,080

3.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,037 NZ$5,127

$3,030 €2,607

0.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,556 NZ$4,315

$2,020 €1,738

26.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,161 NZ$13.8K

$7,800 €6,709

4.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,609 NZ$9,469

$4,273 €3,675

31.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,223 NZ$5,441

$1,603 €1,379

100.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

3.81

76.90%

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

Last update for Queenstown: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,461 in Queenstown and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Queenstown pays 101% 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: $85.0 in Queenstown vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $269 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

Queenstown vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Queenstown and Lisbon differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($2,730 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Queenstown pays 101% more on average, 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: $1,461 in Queenstown versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Queenstown versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Queenstown. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Queenstown 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Queenstown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.