Cost of Living Comparison Between Townsville and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Townsville and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,832 in Townsville versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,121 in Townsville versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,410 in Townsville versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Townsville is roughly 25% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Townsville 105% above, Lisbon 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.68 A$30.30

$17.55 €15.13

23.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 A$99.2

$64.5 €55.6

10.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.30 A$17.19

$11.65 €10.04

5.58%

Cappuccino

$3.85 A$5.38

$3.26 €2.81

18.10%

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

$2.63 A$3.67

$2.49 €2.15

5.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 A$3.60

$1.67 €1.44

54.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.46 A$11.82

$3.47 €2.99

143.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 A$9.79

$3.58 €3.08

95.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 A$2.54

$1.18 €1.02

54.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 A$3.29

$1.95 €1.68

20.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 A$2.06

$1.56 €1.35

-5.77%

Eggs

$5.51 A$7.71

$4.01 €3.46

37.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.37 A$11.70

$13.27 €11.45

-36.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 A$14.47

$8.42 €7.26

22.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 A$19.35

$18.23 €15.72

-24.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.69

$2.32 €2.00

75.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 A$3.86

$1.73 €1.49

59.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 A$5.07

$1.93 €1.67

88.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 A$6.09

$2.64 €2.28

65.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 A$3.82

$1.90 €1.64

43.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.83

$2.11 €1.82

29.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 A$3.45

$1.44 €1.24

71.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.00

$0.80 €0.69

167.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.79 A$43.04

$7.01 €6.04

339.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.65 A$14.89

$5.92 €5.11

79.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.92 A$9.67

$1.36 €1.18

408.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.71 A$12.18

$2.15 €1.85

305.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 A$3.21

$2.38 €2.05

-3.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.4 A$111

$46.22 €39.86

71.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.88 A$5.42

$4.19 €3.61

-7.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.55 A$3.56

$1.10 €0.95

131.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$54.6 A$76.4

$17.26 €14.88

216.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 A$1.71

$2.25 €1.94

-45.78%

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

$28.5K A$39.8K

$34.5K €29.7K

-17.43%

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

$36.0K A$50.3K

$41.6K €35.9K

-13.48%

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

$396 A$554

$171 €147

131.84%

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

$37.10 A$51.9

$19.01 €16.39

95.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 A$98.6

$34.28 €29.56

105.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 A$78.0

$49.65 €42.81

12.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 A$28.34

$19.51 €16.82

3.95%

Cinema Ticket

$15.81 A$22.10

$10.10 €8.71

56.53%

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

$2,158 A$3,017

$699 €603

208.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K A$30.5K

$17.8K €15.3K

22.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.4 A$138

$105 €90.2

-5.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.2 A$101

$47.97 €41.36

50.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$167 A$234

$102 €87.8

64.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 A$190

$128 €111

5.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 A$1,891

$1,661 €1,433

-18.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 A$1,698

$1,228 €1,059

-1.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,630 A$3,676

$2,915 €2,514

-9.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,147 A$3,002

$2,023 €1,745

6.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,102 A$7,131

$8,129 €7,010

-37.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,196 A$5,865

$4,635 €3,997

-9.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,205 A$5,878

$1,619 €1,396

159.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

3.78

46.56%

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

Last update for Townsville: September 5, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,353 in Townsville and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Townsville pays 160% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $71.0 in Townsville vs $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $281 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

Townsville vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Townsville and Lisbon differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($2,832 vs $2,268 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 160% higher in Townsville, 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: $1,353 in Townsville versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,158 in Townsville versus $699 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Townsville. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Townsville 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Townsville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.