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: $2,076 in Timaru versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,132 in Timaru versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,188 in Timaru versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Timaru costs roughly 9% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Timaru 55% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 NZ$25.96

$16.19 €14.17

-6.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 NZ$136

$63.3 €55.4

25.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.76 NZ$16.72

$10.32 €9.03

-5.43%

Cappuccino

$3.39 NZ$5.80

$2.83 €2.48

19.79%

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

$2.20 NZ$3.76

$2.29 €2.00

-3.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 NZ$3.36

$1.58 €1.38

24.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 NZ$10.28

$3.40 €2.98

76.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 NZ$10.09

$4.03 €3.52

46.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.81

$1.09 €0.95

50.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 NZ$3.34

$1.75 €1.53

11.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 NZ$2.05

$1.76 €1.54

-31.82%

Eggs

$6.32 NZ$10.82

$3.17 €2.77

99.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.09 NZ$17.28

$13.19 €11.54

-23.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.54 NZ$18.05

$7.97 €6.97

32.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 NZ$28.80

$15.53 €13.59

8.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 NZ$4.31

$2.37 €2.07

6.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 NZ$4.17

$1.71 €1.49

42.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 NZ$5.29

$2.01 €1.76

53.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.84 NZ$9.99

$2.43 €2.13

140.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 NZ$4.47

$1.76 €1.54

48.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$4.04

$2.03 €1.78

16.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 NZ$4.99

$1.92 €1.68

51.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NZ$1.99

$0.85 €0.74

36.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.22 NZ$50.0

$6.58 €5.76

344.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 NZ$12.14

$5.58 €4.88

27.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.63 NZ$7.92

$1.33 €1.17

248.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 NZ$11.87

$2.97 €2.60

133.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 NZ$3.71

$2.28 €1.99

-4.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.0 NZ$108

$45.79 €40.06

37.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 NZ$4.94

$4.23 €3.70

-31.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 NZ$1.88

$0.81 €0.71

35.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.24 NZ$55.2

$18.44 €16.13

74.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 NZ$2.74

$2.08 €1.82

-23.08%

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

$30.2K NZ$51.7K

$34.7K €30.3K

-12.83%

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

$17.8K NZ$30.5K

$39.2K €34.3K

-54.55%

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

$191 NZ$328

$148 €130

29.30%

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

$23.77 NZ$40.70

$20.46 €17.90

16.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.1 NZ$103

$39.56 €34.61

51.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.44 NZ$64.1

$47.99 €41.99

-21.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.01 NZ$20.57

$18.60 €16.27

-35.43%

Cinema Ticket

$13.01 NZ$22.27

$9.22 €8.07

41.11%

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

$502 NZ$860

$616 €539

-18.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,932 NZ$11.9K

$16.4K €14.4K

-57.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.2 NZ$149

$103 €89.9

-15.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 NZ$85.8

$41.74 €36.52

20.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 NZ$166

$94.8 €82.9

2.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$282 NZ$483

$122 €107

131.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 NZ$1,680

$1,633 €1,428

-39.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$787 NZ$1,347

$1,232 €1,078

-36.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 NZ$2,705

$3,098 €2,711

-49.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 NZ$2,456

$2,031 €1,777

-29.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,862 NZ$8,324

$7,831 €6,851

-37.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,369 NZ$5,769

$4,389 €3,840

-23.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

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 Timaru: July 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $981 in Timaru and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Timaru vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 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

Timaru vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Timaru and Lisbon differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,076 vs $2,291 including rent). Timaru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,113 in Timaru and $3,437 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: $981 in Timaru versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $502 in Timaru versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 34% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,076 in Timaru versus $2,291 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 10% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.