Cost of Living Comparison Between Timaru and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Timaru and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,917 in Timaru versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,928 in Timaru versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,939 in Timaru versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Timaru costs roughly 17% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Timaru 40% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.41 NZ$25.18

$17.59 €15.33

-18.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 NZ$111

$62.9 €54.8

0.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 NZ$19.53

$11.58 €10.10

-3.54%

Cappuccino

$3.38 NZ$5.91

$3.10 €2.70

9.03%

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

$2.11 NZ$3.69

$2.49 €2.17

-15.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 NZ$3.19

$1.74 €1.52

5.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 NZ$10.06

$3.48 €3.03

65.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 NZ$11.43

$3.44 €3.00

90.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 NZ$1.96

$1.15 €1.00

-2.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 NZ$3.19

$1.91 €1.66

-4.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 NZ$2.06

$1.50 €1.31

-21.33%

Eggs

$5.87 NZ$10.26

$3.98 €3.47

47.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.71 NZ$15.23

$13.29 €11.59

-34.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.58 NZ$16.74

$8.01 €6.98

19.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.05 NZ$29.81

$18.04 €15.73

-5.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 NZ$5.32

$2.35 €2.05

29.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 NZ$4.21

$1.75 €1.53

37.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 NZ$5.65

$1.85 €1.62

74.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.09 NZ$8.90

$2.55 €2.22

99.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.27

$1.84 €1.61

1.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 NZ$3.33

$2.10 €1.83

-9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 NZ$4.07

$1.49 €1.30

56.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 NZ$0.99

$0.82 €0.71

-31.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.33 NZ$37.28

$7.10 €6.19

200.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 NZ$10.36

$5.91 €5.15

0.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 NZ$5.80

$1.31 €1.15

153.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 NZ$2.13

$2.13 €1.86

-42.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 NZ$3.06

$2.36 €2.05

-25.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.8 NZ$152

$46.62 €40.63

86.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.33 NZ$4.07

$4.08 €3.55

-42.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 NZ$3.21

$1.14 €0.99

60.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.99 NZ$50.7

$17.09 €14.90

69.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 NZ$2.67

$2.31 €2.01

-33.77%

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

$25.7K NZ$45.0K

$34.1K €29.7K

-24.56%

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

$25.6K NZ$44.8K

$41.4K €36.1K

-38.05%

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

$114 NZ$200

$169 €147

-32.27%

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

$23.35 NZ$40.82

$19.33 €16.85

20.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 NZ$95.2

$33.51 €29.21

62.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.22 NZ$70.3

$48.84 €42.57

-17.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

Cinema Ticket

$10.63 NZ$18.58

$9.57 €8.34

11.08%

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

$594 NZ$1,039

$696 €607

-14.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NZ$20.9K

$17.4K €15.1K

-31.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 NZ$107

$105 €91.8

-42.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.99 NZ$62.9

$47.75 €41.62

-24.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 NZ$163

$101 €87.6

-7.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 NZ$247

$124 €108

13.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 NZ$1,831

$1,662 €1,449

-36.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$915 NZ$1,599

$1,246 €1,086

-26.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 NZ$2,738

$2,965 €2,584

-47.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 NZ$2,640

$2,049 €1,786

-26.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,274 NZ$7,471

$7,834 €6,829

-45.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,025 NZ$5,289

$4,464 €3,892

-32.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

3.78

87.04%

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

Last update for Timaru: September 15, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,047 in Timaru and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Timaru vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $307 vs $277, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Timaru vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Timaru and Lisbon differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,917 vs $2,296 including rent). Timaru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,875 in Timaru and $3,444 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: $1,047 in Timaru versus $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $594 in Timaru versus $696 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,917 in Timaru versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Timaru but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Timaru 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, Timaru 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 Timaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.