Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bern Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bern

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,430 in Bern.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $5,248 in Bern.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $7,066 in Bern.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 36% less than in Bern, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Bern 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$27.70 CHF 21.86

-42.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$107 CHF 84.6

-39.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$17.47 CHF 13.79

-39.84%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$5.86 CHF 4.63

-51.02%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$4.83 CHF 3.81

-53.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$4.64 CHF 3.66

-67.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$8.38 CHF 6.62

-58.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$6.26 CHF 4.94

-38.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.22 CHF 1.75

-48.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$3.27 CHF 2.58

-46.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$4.15 CHF 3.27

-57.59%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$7.10 CHF 5.60

-54.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$27.95 CHF 22.06

-51.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$35.50 CHF 28.01

-77.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$41.05 CHF 32.39

-61.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.55 CHF 2.80

-34.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.20 CHF 1.74

-22.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.74 CHF 2.16

-26.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$6.99 CHF 5.51

-64.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.24 CHF 1.77

-17.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.15 CHF 1.70

-6.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.42 CHF 1.91

-20.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.14 CHF 0.90

-30.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$11.39 CHF 8.99

-41.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$12.80 CHF 10.10

-55.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.96 CHF 1.55

-30.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.35 CHF 1.86

26.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.59 CHF 2.83

-33.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$99.0 CHF 78.1

-53.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$7.86 CHF 6.20

-45.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$4.47 CHF 3.52

-81.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$90.9 CHF 71.7

-79.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.14 CHF 1.69

-3.74%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$40.6K CHF 32.0K

-15.52%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$56.6K CHF 44.7K

-30.60%

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

$148 €127

$367 CHF 290

-59.69%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$59.9 CHF 47.27

-65.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$59.0 CHF 46.55

-32.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$82.5 CHF 65.1

-41.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$47.41 CHF 37.42

-60.09%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$24.55 CHF 19.38

-62.61%

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

$614 €529

$3,417 CHF 2,697

-82.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$39.8K CHF 31.4K

-59.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$149 CHF 118

-29.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$67.9 CHF 53.6

-38.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$177 CHF 140

-47.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$186 CHF 147

-35.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$1,853 CHF 1,463

-12.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$1,264 CHF 997

-0.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$3,301 CHF 2,606

-8.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$2,367 CHF 1,868

-14.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$16.3K CHF 12.8K

-52.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$12.8K CHF 10.1K

-66.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$7,193 CHF 5,676

-77.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

2.52

51.19%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Bern: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,853 in Bern. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 349% 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 $107 in Bern for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $636 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 Bern: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Bern. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Bern earns 349% 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 $1,853 in Bern. 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 $107 in Bern. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $3,430 in Bern – a 55% 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 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 Bern 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 55% less than in Bern. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.