Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,565 in Lausanne versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,676 in Lausanne versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,788 in Lausanne versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Lausanne is roughly 61% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 166% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.84 CHF 25.92

$15.91 €13.70

106.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$145 CHF 115

$64.8 €55.8

124.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.73 CHF 14.78

$10.51 €9.05

78.21%

Cappuccino

$6.07 CHF 4.79

$2.87 €2.47

111.50%

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

$5.59 CHF 4.41

$2.24 €1.93

149.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 CHF 3.71

$1.50 €1.29

213.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.64 CHF 7.60

$3.49 €3.01

176.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.41 CHF 6.64

$3.88 €3.34

116.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.73

$1.14 €0.98

92.11%

White Bread (500g)

$4.17 CHF 3.29

$1.75 €1.51

138.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 CHF 3.54

$1.76 €1.51

154.55%

Eggs

$7.01 CHF 5.53

$3.22 €2.77

117.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.22 CHF 20.69

$13.49 €11.61

94.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.78 CHF 22.71

$7.91 €6.81

263.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$52.0 CHF 41.01

$15.87 €13.67

227.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 CHF 2.84

$2.31 €1.99

55.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 CHF 1.73

$1.70 €1.46

28.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.33

$2.01 €1.73

46.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.43 CHF 5.08

$2.46 €2.12

161.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$1.84 €1.59

36.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$2.00 €1.72

17.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 1.96

$1.93 €1.66

29.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CHF 1.10

$0.79 €0.68

75.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.93 CHF 8.63

$6.61 €5.69

65.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 CHF 12.72

$5.72 €4.93

181.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 CHF 1.59

$1.37 €1.18

46.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CHF 2.53

$2.97 €2.56

7.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.74 CHF 3.74

$2.37 €2.04

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.6 CHF 77.0

$45.56 €39.22

114.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.98 CHF 6.30

$4.29 €3.69

86.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 CHF 2.57

$0.82 €0.70

297.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.6 CHF 53.3

$18.30 €15.76

269.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$2.06 €1.78

4.37%

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

$41.1K CHF 32.4K

$34.3K €29.5K

19.84%

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

$41.7K CHF 32.9K

$39.3K €33.8K

6.13%

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

$322 CHF 254

$148 €127

117.80%

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

$50.3 CHF 39.70

$20.52 €17.67

145.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 CHF 45.46

$39.61 €34.10

45.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 CHF 60.0

$47.85 €41.19

58.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.71 CHF 37.65

$18.92 €16.29

152.17%

Cinema Ticket

$26.56 CHF 20.96

$9.18 €7.91

189.32%

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

$2,763 CHF 2,180

$614 €529

349.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K CHF 27.1K

$16.0K €13.8K

114.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 CHF 87.0

$105 €90.1

5.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.2 CHF 55.4

$42.06 €36.21

66.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 117

$94.0 €80.9

58.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 146

$120 €103

54.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CHF 1,448

$1,628 €1,401

12.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 CHF 1,173

$1,255 €1,081

18.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,523 CHF 2,780

$3,030 €2,609

16.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,944 CHF 2,323

$2,020 €1,739

45.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.6K CHF 15.4K

$7,800 €6,715

150.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.4K CHF 11.4K

$4,273 €3,678

238.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,571 CHF 5,975

$1,603 €1,380

372.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

3.81

-34.38%

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

Last update for Lausanne: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,834 in Lausanne and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lausanne pays 372% 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: $145 in Lausanne vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $651 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

Lausanne vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lausanne and Lisbon differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($3,565 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lausanne pays 372% 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: $1,834 in Lausanne versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $145 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,565 per month in Lausanne versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Lausanne 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 61% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.