Cost of Living Comparison Between Whanganui and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Whanganui and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,701 in Whanganui versus $2,227 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,719 in Whanganui versus $3,305 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Whanganui versus $4,384 in Lisbon.

Living in Whanganui costs roughly 24% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Whanganui 27% above, Lisbon 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.09 NZ$25.65

$16.17 €13.81

-6.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.7 NZ$122

$64.6 €55.1

11.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 NZ$15.19

$10.38 €8.86

-13.87%

Cappuccino

$3.25 NZ$5.52

$2.77 €2.37

17.33%

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

$2.38 NZ$4.05

$2.25 €1.92

5.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 NZ$2.83

$1.57 €1.34

5.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.85 NZ$8.24

$3.49 €2.98

38.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 NZ$8.96

$4.00 €3.42

31.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.94

$1.08 €0.93

60.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 NZ$2.80

$1.74 €1.49

-5.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.38

$1.74 €1.48

14.37%

Eggs

$5.88 NZ$10.00

$3.18 €2.71

84.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 NZ$12.73

$13.43 €11.47

-44.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 NZ$15.83

$7.99 €6.83

16.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.52 NZ$21.29

$16.09 €13.74

-22.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 NZ$4.05

$2.28 €1.95

4.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 NZ$3.23

$1.72 €1.47

10.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 NZ$4.31

$1.94 €1.66

30.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 NZ$5.80

$2.54 €2.17

34.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 NZ$3.69

$1.83 €1.56

18.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 NZ$3.68

$2.04 €1.74

5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 NZ$3.49

$1.98 €1.69

3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 NZ$0.95

$0.85 €0.73

-34.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.65 NZ$35.11

$6.85 €5.85

201.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.53 NZ$17.91

$5.78 €4.93

82.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 NZ$4.31

$1.37 €1.17

84.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 NZ$4.46

$2.90 €2.48

-9.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 NZ$3.64

$2.28 €1.95

-6.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.2 NZ$109

$46.84 €40.00

37.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 NZ$4.72

$4.08 €3.48

-31.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 NZ$3.16

$0.82 €0.70

126.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.68 NZ$60.7

$18.27 €15.60

95.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.93

$2.01 €1.71

-13.93%

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

$27.7K NZ$47.1K

$35.3K €30.1K

-21.52%

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

$23.2K NZ$39.5K

$38.5K €32.9K

-39.66%

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

$117 NZ$198

$145 €124

-19.76%

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

$36.89 NZ$62.7

$20.96 €17.90

76.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.38 NZ$82.3

$40.05 €34.21

20.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.83 NZ$62.6

$48.79 €41.66

-24.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.17 NZ$20.69

$18.69 €15.97

-34.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.45 NZ$12.66

$9.06 €7.74

-17.77%

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

$362 NZ$616

$607 €518

-40.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K NZ$20.8K

$16.3K €13.9K

-24.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.5 NZ$117

$105 €89.4

-34.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.87 NZ$62.7

$40.95 €34.97

-9.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 NZ$165

$93.6 €79.9

3.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 NZ$215

$119 €101

6.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 NZ$2,085

$1,604 €1,370

-23.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 NZ$1,217

$1,236 €1,055

-42.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 NZ$2,713

$3,046 €2,601

-47.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 NZ$2,316

$2,057 €1,756

-33.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,583

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,644

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,407 NZ$2,392

$1,584 €1,353

-11.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

3.81

75.59%

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

Last update for Whanganui: April 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,226 in Whanganui and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 13% 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: $72.0 in Whanganui vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $271 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

Whanganui vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Whanganui and Lisbon differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,701 vs $2,227 including rent). Whanganui is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 13% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,226 in Whanganui versus $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $362 in Whanganui versus $607 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,701 in Whanganui versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Whanganui but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Whanganui 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, Whanganui 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 Whanganui gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.