Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,354 in Wellington versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,553 in Wellington versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,751 in Wellington versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Wellington is roughly 7% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 76% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 NZ$29.46

$15.91 €13.70

8.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 NZ$144

$64.8 €55.8

30.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 NZ$16.63

$10.51 €9.05

-7.04%

Cappuccino

$3.80 NZ$6.46

$2.87 €2.47

32.40%

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

$2.60 NZ$4.44

$2.24 €1.93

16.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NZ$3.72

$1.50 €1.30

45.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 NZ$11.98

$3.49 €3.01

101.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 NZ$12.70

$3.88 €3.34

92.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.18

$1.14 €0.98

64.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 NZ$3.59

$1.75 €1.51

20.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.33

$1.76 €1.51

10.80%

Eggs

$6.88 NZ$11.72

$3.22 €2.77

113.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 NZ$13.85

$13.49 €11.62

-39.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.06 NZ$18.83

$7.91 €6.81

39.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 NZ$22.38

$15.87 €13.67

-17.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 NZ$5.32

$2.31 €1.99

35.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 NZ$3.81

$1.70 €1.46

31.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NZ$5.09

$2.01 €1.73

48.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 NZ$8.04

$2.46 €2.12

91.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.52

$1.84 €1.59

12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 NZ$2.82

$2.00 €1.72

-17.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 NZ$3.76

$1.93 €1.66

14.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 NZ$2.19

$0.79 €0.68

62.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.87 NZ$45.75

$6.61 €5.69

306.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.74 NZ$19.99

$5.72 €4.93

105.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NZ$6.00

$1.37 €1.18

156.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NZ$5.41

$2.97 €2.56

7.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 NZ$4.68

$2.37 €2.04

16.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 NZ$182

$45.56 €39.23

135.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 NZ$4.54

$4.29 €3.69

-38.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 NZ$3.16

$0.82 €0.70

125.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.4 NZ$103

$18.30 €15.76

229.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.92

$2.06 €1.78

-16.99%

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

$33.6K NZ$57.2K

$34.3K €29.5K

-1.94%

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

$24.6K NZ$41.9K

$39.3K €33.8K

-37.44%

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

$160 NZ$273

$148 €127

8.34%

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

$32.55 NZ$55.4

$20.52 €17.67

58.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 NZ$87.7

$39.61 €34.11

30.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.79 NZ$62.7

$47.85 €41.20

-23.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.60 NZ$35.08

$18.92 €16.29

8.88%

Cinema Ticket

$12.17 NZ$20.73

$9.18 €7.91

32.57%

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

$800 NZ$1,363

$614 €529

30.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NZ$21.5K

$16.0K €13.8K

-21.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 NZ$125

$105 €90.1

-29.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 NZ$90.5

$42.06 €36.22

26.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 NZ$203

$94.0 €80.9

26.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 NZ$241

$120 €103

18.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 NZ$2,281

$1,628 €1,402

-17.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 NZ$1,881

$1,255 €1,081

-12.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 NZ$3,582

$3,030 €2,609

-30.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 NZ$3,216

$2,020 €1,740

-6.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,602 NZ$11.2K

$7,800 €6,716

-15.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,897 NZ$6,636

$4,273 €3,679

-8.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,057 NZ$5,206

$1,603 €1,381

90.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

3.81

82.15%

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

Last update for Wellington: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,339 in Wellington and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 91% 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: $85.0 in Wellington vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 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

Wellington vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wellington and Lisbon differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,354 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Wellington pays 91% more on average, 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: $1,339 in Wellington versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $800 in Wellington versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,354 in Wellington, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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, Wellington 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 7% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.