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: $2,721 in Queenstown versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,293 in Queenstown versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,865 in Queenstown versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Queenstown is roughly 19% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Queenstown 104% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.10 NZ$25.84

$16.19 €14.15

-6.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.2 NZ$144

$63.3 €55.3

33.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 NZ$16.81

$10.32 €9.02

-4.75%

Cappuccino

$3.42 NZ$5.85

$2.83 €2.47

20.85%

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

$2.36 NZ$4.04

$2.29 €2.00

3.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 NZ$3.99

$1.58 €1.38

47.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 NZ$12.24

$3.40 €2.97

110.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 NZ$10.48

$4.03 €3.52

51.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 NZ$3.70

$1.09 €0.95

99.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 NZ$3.58

$1.75 €1.53

19.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 NZ$4.15

$1.76 €1.54

37.50%

Eggs

$6.60 NZ$11.30

$3.17 €2.77

108.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 NZ$17.08

$13.19 €11.53

-24.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.66 NZ$18.24

$7.97 €6.96

33.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.55 NZ$28.32

$15.53 €13.57

6.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 NZ$5.34

$2.37 €2.07

31.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 NZ$4.30

$1.71 €1.49

46.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 NZ$6.84

$2.01 €1.75

99.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.94 NZ$10.17

$2.43 €2.12

144.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 NZ$4.41

$1.76 €1.54

46.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 NZ$3.88

$2.03 €1.78

11.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 NZ$4.82

$1.92 €1.68

46.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.91

$0.85 €0.74

30.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.36 NZ$48.53

$6.58 €5.75

331.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.73 NZ$16.65

$5.58 €4.87

74.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.73 NZ$8.10

$1.33 €1.16

255.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 NZ$12.15

$2.97 €2.60

139.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 NZ$4.67

$2.28 €1.99

19.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$128 NZ$219

$45.79 €40.01

179.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 NZ$4.87

$4.23 €3.69

-32.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 NZ$3.19

$0.81 €0.71

130.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.84 NZ$54.5

$18.44 €16.11

72.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.86

$2.08 €1.82

-19.71%

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

$29.7K NZ$50.8K

$34.7K €30.3K

-14.37%

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

$17.8K NZ$30.5K

$39.2K €34.2K

-54.51%

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

$283 NZ$485

$148 €129

91.43%

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

$40.99 NZ$70.1

$20.46 €17.88

100.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.0 NZ$109

$39.56 €34.56

61.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 NZ$100

$47.99 €41.93

22.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.66 NZ$42.19

$18.60 €16.25

32.58%

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 NZ$23.02

$9.22 €8.06

45.99%

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

$498 NZ$852

$616 €538

-19.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,085 NZ$12.1K

$16.4K €14.4K

-56.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.2 NZ$149

$103 €89.7

-15.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.34 NZ$84.4

$41.74 €36.47

18.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 NZ$167

$94.8 €82.8

3.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$283 NZ$484

$122 €107

131.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 NZ$2,551

$1,633 €1,426

-8.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 NZ$2,173

$1,232 €1,077

3.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 NZ$5,184

$3,098 €2,707

-2.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,587 NZ$4,427

$2,031 €1,775

27.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,658 NZ$13.1K

$7,831 €6,842

-2.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,369 NZ$9,186

$4,389 €3,835

22.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,095 NZ$5,296

$1,607 €1,404

92.59%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,491 in Queenstown and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Queenstown pays 93% 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: $84.0 in Queenstown vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 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

Queenstown vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Queenstown and Lisbon differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,721 vs $2,291 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 93% higher in Queenstown, 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: $1,491 in Queenstown versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $498 in Queenstown versus $616 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 19% less than in Queenstown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.