Cost of Living Comparison Between Thames and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Thames and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,866 in Thames versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,899 in Thames versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Thames versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Thames costs roughly 16% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thames 39% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.94 NZ$25.23

$15.91 €13.69

-6.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 NZ$130

$64.8 €55.7

19.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.40 NZ$15.88

$10.51 €9.04

-10.56%

Cappuccino

$3.38 NZ$5.70

$2.87 €2.47

17.77%

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

$2.28 NZ$3.86

$2.24 €1.93

1.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 NZ$3.73

$1.50 €1.29

47.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.30 NZ$12.33

$3.49 €3.00

109.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 NZ$12.11

$3.88 €3.34

84.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 NZ$2.94

$1.14 €0.98

52.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 NZ$3.54

$1.75 €1.51

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 NZ$3.42

$1.76 €1.51

15.34%

Eggs

$6.82 NZ$11.51

$3.22 €2.77

111.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.89 NZ$15.00

$13.49 €11.61

-34.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 NZ$16.35

$7.91 €6.81

22.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 NZ$22.25

$15.87 €13.65

-16.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 NZ$4.95

$2.31 €1.99

26.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 NZ$3.81

$1.70 €1.46

32.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 NZ$5.63

$2.01 €1.73

65.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 NZ$6.72

$2.46 €2.12

61.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.50

$1.84 €1.59

12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 NZ$2.78

$2.00 €1.72

-17.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 NZ$3.20

$1.93 €1.66

-2.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 NZ$2.15

$0.79 €0.68

62.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.49 NZ$43.03

$6.61 €5.68

285.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.01 NZ$16.91

$5.72 €4.92

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 NZ$4.99

$1.37 €1.17

115.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 NZ$6.52

$2.97 €2.56

29.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 NZ$3.59

$2.37 €2.04

-10.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 NZ$108

$45.56 €39.19

40.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 NZ$3.62

$4.29 €3.69

-49.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NZ$3.25

$0.82 €0.70

134.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.69 NZ$58.6

$18.30 €15.74

89.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.78

$2.06 €1.78

-19.90%

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

$28.4K NZ$48.0K

$34.3K €29.5K

-17.14%

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

$22.3K NZ$37.6K

$39.3K €33.8K

-43.34%

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

$141 NZ$239

$148 €127

-4.46%

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

$30.14 NZ$50.9

$20.52 €17.65

46.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.45 NZ$81.8

$39.61 €34.08

22.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.47 NZ$61.6

$47.85 €41.16

-23.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.89 NZ$20.08

$18.92 €16.28

-37.16%

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 NZ$25.63

$9.18 €7.90

65.36%

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

$900 NZ$1,519

$614 €528

46.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K NZ$22.8K

$16.0K €13.8K

-15.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 NZ$117

$105 €90.0

-33.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.36 NZ$83.3

$42.06 €36.18

17.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 NZ$163

$94.0 €80.8

3.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 NZ$212

$120 €103

4.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 NZ$1,653

$1,628 €1,400

-39.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 NZ$1,305

$1,255 €1,080

-38.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,545 NZ$2,608

$3,030 €2,607

-49.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 NZ$2,434

$2,020 €1,738

-28.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,612 NZ$7,786

$7,800 €6,709

-40.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,448 NZ$5,821

$4,273 €3,675

-19.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

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 Thames: May 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $979 in Thames and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77.0 in Thames vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 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

Thames vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thames and Lisbon differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,866 vs $2,210 including rent). Thames is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,799 in Thames and $3,315 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: $979 in Thames versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $900 in Thames versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,866 in Thames versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Thames but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Thames 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, Thames 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 Thames gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.