Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,653 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $5,857 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $8,062 in Basel.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 39% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Basel 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$30.72 CHF 24.24

-48.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$156 CHF 123

-58.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$19.37 CHF 15.28

-45.74%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$6.75 CHF 5.33

-57.48%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$5.67 CHF 4.47

-60.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$5.02 CHF 3.96

-70.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$10.09 CHF 7.96

-65.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$7.45 CHF 5.88

-47.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.24 CHF 1.77

-49.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$3.73 CHF 2.95

-53.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$4.99 CHF 3.94

-64.73%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$8.16 CHF 6.44

-60.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$28.67 CHF 22.62

-52.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$35.93 CHF 28.36

-77.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$43.12 CHF 34.03

-63.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.98 CHF 3.14

-41.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.60 CHF 2.05

-34.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$4.24 CHF 3.35

-52.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$6.96 CHF 5.49

-64.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$3.23 CHF 2.55

-43.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.94 CHF 2.32

-31.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.51 CHF 1.98

-23.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.55 CHF 1.22

-49.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$11.68 CHF 9.22

-43.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$13.81 CHF 10.90

-58.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.39 CHF 1.89

-42.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.16 CHF 2.49

-6.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$4.58 CHF 3.61

-48.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$105 CHF 82.5

-56.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$7.99 CHF 6.31

-46.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$4.31 CHF 3.40

-80.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$87.2 CHF 68.8

-79.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.23 CHF 1.76

-7.62%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

-15.17%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$44.3K CHF 35.0K

-11.33%

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

$148 €127

$306 CHF 242

-51.69%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$53.5 CHF 42.24

-61.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$58.9 CHF 46.44

-32.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$90.3 CHF 71.2

-46.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$42.50 CHF 33.54

-55.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$22.72 CHF 17.93

-59.60%

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

$614 €529

$2,574 CHF 2,031

-76.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

-52.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$134 CHF 105

-21.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$88.3 CHF 69.7

-52.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$181 CHF 143

-48.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$227 CHF 179

-47.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$2,112 CHF 1,666

-22.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$1,519 CHF 1,199

-17.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$3,828 CHF 3,021

-20.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$2,802 CHF 2,211

-27.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$19.1K CHF 15.1K

-59.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

-70.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$8,292 CHF 6,544

-80.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

2.55

49.41%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Basel: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $2,112 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 417% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $156 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $685 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

Lisbon vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Basel earns 417% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $2,112 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $2,574 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 154% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,210 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Basel 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 65% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.