Cost of Living Comparison Between Aarau and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Aarau and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,825 per month in Aarau vs $2,316 in Lisbon, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,712 per month in Aarau vs $3,361 in Lisbon, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,599 per month in Aarau vs $4,405 in Lisbon, rent included.

Aarau costs about 22% more than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Aarau and Lisbon sit above the global median – Aarau by 106%, Lisbon by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.44 CHF 24.75

$17.30 €14.93

75.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 CHF 87.9

$63.3 €54.6

70.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.92 CHF 15.38

$11.39 €9.83

66.11%

Cappuccino

$5.89 CHF 4.79

$3.19 €2.75

84.64%

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

$5.32 CHF 4.32

$2.45 €2.11

117.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 CHF 4.00

$1.76 €1.52

180.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 CHF 4.92

$3.59 €3.10

68.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 CHF 5.39

$3.39 €2.93

95.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 CHF 1.70

$1.24 €1.07

69.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 CHF 3.19

$1.98 €1.71

97.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.23

$1.52 €1.31

80.26%

Eggs

$7.61 CHF 6.19

$4.04 €3.49

88.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$32.31 CHF 26.27

$13.54 €11.68

138.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$30.77 CHF 25.02

$8.39 €7.24

266.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.70 CHF 33.90

$18.25 €15.75

128.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 CHF 2.42

$2.29 €1.98

29.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 CHF 1.47

$1.74 €1.50

4.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.05

$1.86 €1.60

35.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.92 CHF 4.82

$2.63 €2.27

125.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.45

$1.92 €1.65

-7.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.62

$2.09 €1.81

-4.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 CHF 1.88

$1.44 €1.24

60.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 CHF 0.97

$0.84 €0.73

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.34 CHF 9.22

$6.78 €5.85

67.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.40 CHF 8.46

$5.71 €4.93

82.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 CHF 2.16

$1.38 €1.19

92.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CHF 2.45

$2.22 €1.91

35.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.25 CHF 4.27

$2.40 €2.07

118.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 CHF 122

$46.78 €40.37

221.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 CHF 5.98

$4.17 €3.60

76.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.36 CHF 2.73

$1.14 €0.98

194.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.0 CHF 51.3

$17.68 €15.26

256.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.85

$2.32 €2.01

-2.16%

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

$44.2K CHF 36.0K

$35.3K €30.5K

25.15%

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

$40.3K CHF 32.8K

$41.4K €35.8K

-2.71%

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

$125 CHF 102

$170 €147

-26.58%

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

$32.27 CHF 26.24

$19.34 €16.69

66.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 CHF 46.79

$33.64 €29.03

71.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.9 CHF 80.4

$48.10 €41.50

105.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$62.0 CHF 50.4

$19.90 €17.17

211.66%

Cinema Ticket

$22.11 CHF 17.97

$9.92 €8.56

122.88%

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

$3,186 CHF 2,590

$717 €619

344.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K CHF 20.1K

$17.5K €15.1K

41.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 CHF 75.2

$105 €90.4

-11.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.1 CHF 61.0

$46.95 €40.51

59.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 CHF 90.9

$103 €89.2

8.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 CHF 139

$124 €107

37.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 CHF 1,049

$1,677 €1,447

-23.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 CHF 853

$1,271 €1,097

-17.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,309 CHF 1,877

$2,985 €2,575

-22.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,179 CHF 1,771

$1,992 €1,719

9.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.3K CHF 8,414

$7,826 €6,753

32.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 9,928

$4,658 €4,019

162.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,161 CHF 5,822

$1,583 €1,366

352.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.31

3.79

-39.05%

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

Last update for Aarau: September 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,291 in Aarau versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 352% higher in Aarau, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Aarau versus $63.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $616 vs $283 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Aarau vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aarau costs about 22% more than Lisbon, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,237 per month in Aarau and $3,474 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 221% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $3,186 per month in Aarau and $717 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,825 in Aarau and $2,316 in Lisbon. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lisbon costs $2,316 versus $2,825 in Aarau. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aarau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.