Cost of Living Comparison Between Rolleston and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Rolleston and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,182 in Rolleston versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Rolleston versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Rolleston versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Rolleston costs roughly 49% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rolleston is 14% below, Lisbon is 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.19 NZ$24.81

$17.59 €15.33

-19.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 NZ$121

$62.9 €54.8

10.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.98 NZ$15.69

$11.58 €10.10

-22.45%

Cappuccino

$3.27 NZ$5.71

$3.10 €2.70

5.48%

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

$2.15 NZ$3.76

$2.49 €2.17

-13.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 NZ$3.22

$1.74 €1.52

5.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 NZ$12.43

$3.48 €3.03

104.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.30 NZ$11.01

$3.44 €3.00

83.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 NZ$3.12

$1.15 €1.00

54.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NZ$3.35

$1.91 €1.66

0.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 NZ$2.69

$1.50 €1.31

2.67%

Eggs

$6.05 NZ$10.58

$3.98 €3.47

52.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 NZ$13.77

$13.29 €11.59

-40.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.30 NZ$16.26

$8.01 €6.98

16.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 NZ$24.05

$18.04 €15.73

-23.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 NZ$4.65

$2.35 €2.05

13.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 NZ$4.11

$1.75 €1.53

34.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 NZ$4.98

$1.85 €1.62

54.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.11 NZ$8.93

$2.55 €2.22

100.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.30

$1.84 €1.61

2.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 NZ$2.53

$2.10 €1.83

-30.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 NZ$4.29

$1.49 €1.30

65.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 NZ$1.00

$0.82 €0.71

-30.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.77 NZ$43.31

$7.10 €6.19

248.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.62 NZ$15.07

$5.91 €5.15

45.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 NZ$6.01

$1.31 €1.15

162.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 NZ$6.01

$2.13 €1.86

61.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 NZ$2.06

$2.36 €2.05

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 NZ$4.48

$4.08 €3.55

-37.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 NZ$3.01

$1.14 €0.99

50.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 NZ$50.2

$17.09 €14.90

68.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 NZ$3.00

$2.31 €2.01

-25.54%

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

$25.6K NZ$44.8K

$34.1K €29.7K

-24.93%

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

$25.3K NZ$44.3K

$41.4K €36.1K

-38.76%

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

$112 NZ$195

$169 €147

-33.84%

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

$23.21 NZ$40.58

$19.33 €16.85

20.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.70 NZ$78.1

$33.51 €29.21

33.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

Cinema Ticket

$10.41 NZ$18.20

$9.57 €8.34

8.78%

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

$340 NZ$595

$696 €607

-51.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,021 NZ$12.3K

$17.4K €15.1K

-59.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.4 NZ$106

$105 €91.8

-42.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.54 NZ$62.1

$47.75 €41.62

-25.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 NZ$165

$101 €87.6

-6.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 NZ$222

$124 €108

2.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$285 NZ$498

$1,662 €1,449

-82.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 NZ$462

$1,246 €1,086

-78.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 NZ$1,845

$2,965 €2,584

-64.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 NZ$1,989

$2,049 €1,786

-44.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,080 NZ$3,636

$7,834 €6,829

-73.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,822 NZ$3,185

$4,464 €3,892

-59.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,538 NZ$7,934

$1,632 €1,422

178.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

3.78

56.35%

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

Last update for Rolleston: September 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $285 in Rolleston and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rolleston pays 178% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Rolleston vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $277 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

Rolleston vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rolleston and Lisbon differ by about 94% in total monthly costs ($1,182 vs $2,296 including rent). Rolleston is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 178% higher in Rolleston, 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: $285 in Rolleston versus $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,182 per month in Rolleston versus $2,296 in Lisbon – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,182 in Rolleston versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rolleston but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Rolleston 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, Rolleston 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 Rolleston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.