Cost of Living Comparison Between Taupo and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Taupo and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,921 in Taupo versus $2,217 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,961 in Taupo versus $3,245 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,001 in Taupo versus $4,272 in Lisbon.

Living in Taupo costs roughly 13% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Taupo 44% above, Lisbon 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.02 NZ$25.75

$15.78 €13.59

-4.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 NZ$136

$62.5 €53.8

27.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.71 NZ$16.65

$10.54 €9.07

-7.87%

Cappuccino

$3.43 NZ$5.89

$2.77 €2.38

23.83%

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

$2.26 NZ$3.87

$2.28 €1.97

-0.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 NZ$3.87

$1.55 €1.33

45.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.05 NZ$12.09

$3.55 €3.05

98.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 NZ$12.53

$3.98 €3.43

83.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 NZ$2.98

$1.08 €0.93

61.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 NZ$3.47

$1.77 €1.52

14.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 NZ$3.47

$1.77 €1.52

14.12%

Eggs

$6.98 NZ$11.97

$3.12 €2.69

123.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 NZ$14.95

$13.34 €11.49

-34.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 NZ$16.32

$7.99 €6.88

19.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.96 NZ$22.22

$15.92 €13.70

-18.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 NZ$4.93

$2.28 €1.97

26.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 NZ$3.73

$1.64 €1.42

32.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 NZ$5.60

$1.98 €1.70

65.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 NZ$7.13

$2.45 €2.11

69.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.53

$1.77 €1.52

16.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 NZ$2.90

$1.97 €1.69

-14.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 NZ$3.39

$1.97 €1.70

0.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 NZ$2.12

$0.80 €0.69

55.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.65 NZ$43.97

$6.54 €5.63

292.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.01 NZ$17.16

$5.75 €4.95

74.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 NZ$5.18

$1.32 €1.13

128.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 NZ$6.68

$2.99 €2.57

30.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 NZ$3.71

$2.34 €2.01

-7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 NZ$111

$45.85 €39.48

41.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 NZ$3.66

$4.26 €3.66

-49.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 NZ$3.33

$0.84 €0.73

130.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.99 NZ$60.0

$18.86 €16.24

85.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 NZ$2.92

$2.07 €1.78

-17.87%

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

$28.9K NZ$49.5K

$35.2K €30.3K

-18.01%

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

$22.3K NZ$38.2K

$38.6K €33.2K

-42.35%

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

$146 NZ$251

$151 €130

-3.30%

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

$30.68 NZ$52.6

$20.91 €18.00

46.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.36 NZ$84.6

$39.54 €34.05

24.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.45 NZ$62.5

$48.39 €41.67

-24.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.21 NZ$20.94

$18.61 €16.02

-34.39%

Cinema Ticket

$14.96 NZ$25.65

$9.04 €7.79

65.49%

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

$894 NZ$1,534

$610 €525

46.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K NZ$23.5K

$16.3K €14.0K

-15.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 NZ$118

$101 €87.2

-31.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 NZ$84.5

$40.58 €34.94

21.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 NZ$171

$93.0 €80.1

7.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NZ$210

$119 €102

3.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$972 NZ$1,666

$1,603 €1,380

-39.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 NZ$1,334

$1,239 €1,067

-37.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 NZ$2,728

$3,019 €2,599

-47.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 NZ$2,408

$2,061 €1,775

-31.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,352 NZ$7,461

$7,981 €6,872

-45.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,623 NZ$6,212

$4,533 €3,903

-20.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

3.81

67.19%

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

Last update for Taupo: June 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $972 in Taupo and $1,603 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Taupo vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $268 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

Taupo vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taupo and Lisbon differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,921 vs $2,217 including rent). Taupo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,881 in Taupo and $3,325 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $972 in Taupo versus $1,603 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $894 in Taupo versus $610 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,921 in Taupo versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Taupo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Taupo 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, Taupo 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 Taupo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.