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: $2,447 in Wellington versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,492 in Wellington versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,537 in Wellington versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Wellington is roughly 6% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 78% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.31 NZ$24.27

$17.30 €14.92

-17.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 NZ$114

$63.3 €54.6

6.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 NZ$16.39

$11.39 €9.83

-15.19%

Cappuccino

$3.43 NZ$5.83

$3.19 €2.75

7.52%

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

$2.51 NZ$4.26

$2.45 €2.11

2.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 NZ$3.10

$1.76 €1.52

3.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.75 NZ$13.15

$3.59 €3.10

115.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 NZ$11.93

$3.39 €2.93

107.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 NZ$3.31

$1.24 €1.07

57.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 NZ$3.98

$1.98 €1.71

18.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 NZ$3.33

$1.52 €1.31

28.95%

Eggs

$7.23 NZ$12.27

$4.04 €3.49

78.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 NZ$16.11

$13.54 €11.68

-29.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.08 NZ$17.09

$8.39 €7.23

20.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 NZ$26.55

$18.25 €15.74

-14.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 NZ$5.59

$2.29 €1.97

44.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 NZ$3.87

$1.74 €1.50

31.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 NZ$5.27

$1.86 €1.60

67.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.90 NZ$11.70

$2.63 €2.27

162.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 NZ$3.86

$1.92 €1.65

18.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 NZ$2.28

$2.09 €1.81

-35.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 NZ$3.56

$1.44 €1.24

45.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 NZ$2.12

$0.84 €0.73

48.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.38 NZ$44.75

$6.78 €5.85

289.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.04 NZ$20.43

$5.71 €4.93

110.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 NZ$5.59

$1.38 €1.19

138.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 NZ$4.93

$2.22 €1.91

31.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 NZ$5.07

$2.40 €2.07

24.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 NZ$182

$46.78 €40.35

129.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 NZ$3.33

$4.17 €3.60

-53.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 NZ$3.30

$1.14 €0.98

70.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.91 NZ$59.2

$17.68 €15.25

97.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 NZ$3.31

$2.32 €2.00

-15.95%

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

$27.1K NZ$46.0K

$35.3K €30.5K

-23.18%

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

$26.2K NZ$44.5K

$41.4K €35.7K

-36.70%

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

$210 NZ$357

$170 €147

23.44%

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

$32.92 NZ$55.8

$19.34 €16.68

70.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.1 NZ$96.8

$33.64 €29.01

69.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.38 NZ$68.5

$48.10 €41.48

-16.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.41 NZ$29.53

$19.90 €17.16

-12.51%

Cinema Ticket

$13.14 NZ$22.29

$9.92 €8.56

32.46%

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

$1,097 NZ$1,861

$717 €619

52.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K NZ$23.4K

$17.5K €15.1K

-20.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.6 NZ$140

$105 €90.4

-21.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.26 NZ$49.63

$46.95 €40.49

-37.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NZ$180

$103 €89.2

2.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 NZ$268

$124 €107

27.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 NZ$2,213

$1,677 €1,446

-22.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 NZ$2,043

$1,271 €1,096

-5.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,293 NZ$3,889

$2,985 €2,574

-23.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,790 NZ$3,037

$1,992 €1,718

-10.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,973 NZ$11.8K

$7,826 €6,750

-10.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,721 NZ$6,311

$4,658 €4,017

-20.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,956 NZ$5,014

$1,583 €1,365

86.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

3.79

42.22%

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

Last update for Wellington: August 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,305 in Wellington and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 87% 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: $67.0 in Wellington vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $362 vs $283 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 6% in total monthly costs ($2,447 vs $2,316 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Wellington, 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: $1,305 in Wellington versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,097 in Wellington versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,316 in Lisbon versus $2,447 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 6% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.