Cost of Living Comparison Between Whangarei and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Whangarei and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,698 in Whangarei versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,673 in Whangarei versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,648 in Whangarei versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Whangarei costs roughly 23% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Whangarei 27% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.97 NZ$35.72

$15.91 €13.70

31.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.9 NZ$145

$64.8 €55.8

31.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 NZ$17.62

$10.51 €9.05

-1.62%

Cappuccino

$3.82 NZ$6.51

$2.87 €2.47

33.10%

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

$2.17 NZ$3.69

$2.24 €1.93

-3.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 NZ$2.99

$1.50 €1.29

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.40 NZ$10.90

$3.49 €3.01

83.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.99 NZ$13.61

$3.88 €3.34

105.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 NZ$3.32

$1.14 €0.98

71.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 NZ$3.69

$1.75 €1.51

23.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 NZ$3.46

$1.76 €1.51

15.34%

Eggs

$6.73 NZ$11.46

$3.22 €2.77

109.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.73 NZ$16.57

$13.49 €11.61

-27.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.71 NZ$18.24

$7.91 €6.81

35.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.70 NZ$28.45

$15.87 €13.67

5.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 NZ$5.09

$2.31 €1.99

29.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 NZ$3.97

$1.70 €1.46

37.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 NZ$5.08

$2.01 €1.73

48.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 NZ$8.01

$2.46 €2.12

91.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 NZ$4.39

$1.84 €1.59

40.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 NZ$3.23

$2.00 €1.72

-5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 NZ$4.19

$1.93 €1.66

27.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 NZ$1.90

$0.79 €0.68

41.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.68 NZ$40.33

$6.61 €5.69

258.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 NZ$17.36

$5.72 €4.93

78.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 NZ$4.01

$1.37 €1.18

71.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 NZ$4.90

$2.97 €2.56

-3.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 NZ$3.03

$2.37 €2.04

-24.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 NZ$235

$45.56 €39.22

202.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 NZ$6.76

$4.29 €3.69

-7.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 NZ$2.79

$0.82 €0.70

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.27 NZ$24.31

$18.30 €15.76

-22.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.80

$2.06 €1.78

-20.39%

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

$44.9K NZ$76.5K

$34.3K €29.5K

31.08%

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

$22.3K NZ$38.1K

$39.3K €33.8K

-43.14%

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

$132 NZ$224

$148 €127

-10.94%

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

$39.38 NZ$67.1

$20.52 €17.67

91.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 NZ$90.1

$39.61 €34.10

33.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 NZ$64.6

$47.85 €41.19

-20.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.07 NZ$5.24

$18.92 €16.29

-83.77%

Cinema Ticket

$10.65 NZ$18.15

$9.18 €7.91

16.01%

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

$783 NZ$1,333

$614 €529

27.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K NZ$20.6K

$16.0K €13.8K

-24.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 NZ$118

$105 €90.1

-33.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 NZ$58.5

$42.06 €36.21

-18.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 NZ$139

$94.0 €80.9

-13.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 NZ$173

$120 €103

-15.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 NZ$927

$1,628 €1,401

-66.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 NZ$773

$1,255 €1,081

-63.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 NZ$1,724

$3,030 €2,609

-66.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 NZ$1,322

$2,020 €1,739

-61.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,472 NZ$7,618

$7,800 €6,715

-42.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,393 NZ$5,780

$4,273 €3,678

-20.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,515 NZ$4,285

$1,603 €1,380

56.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

3.81

75.85%

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

Last update for Whangarei: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $544 in Whangarei and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Whangarei pays 57% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Whangarei vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 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

Whangarei vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Whangarei and Lisbon differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,698 vs $2,210 including rent). Whangarei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Whangarei pays 57% 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: $544 in Whangarei versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $783 in Whangarei versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,698 in Whangarei versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Whangarei but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Whangarei 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, Whangarei 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 Whangarei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.