Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Chur

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $3,235 in Chur, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Chur
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,235
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Chur

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Chur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,223 per month in Lisbon vs $3,235 in Chur, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Chur $3,235

A couple spends around $3,271 per month in Lisbon vs $5,037 in Chur, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Chur $5,037

A family of three spends $4,319 per month in Lisbon vs $6,840 in Chur, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Chur $6,840

Lisbon is about 31% cheaper than Chur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Chur sit above the global median – Lisbon by 65%, Chur by 140%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Chur
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.67
$28.57 CHF 23.53
-42.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.5
$107 CHF 87.7
-42.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.03
$16.08 CHF 13.24
-29.91%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$5.56 CHF 4.58
-44.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$5.73 CHF 4.72
-60.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$5.18 CHF 4.26
-66.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.02
$8.23 CHF 6.78
-58.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.02
$8.28 CHF 6.82
-58.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Chur
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$2.20 CHF 1.81
-49.09%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$3.42 CHF 2.81
-45.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$4.21 CHF 3.47
-63.66%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.53
$7.49 CHF 6.17
-47.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.35
$26.47 CHF 21.80
-51.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.02
$25.86 CHF 21.30
-69.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.09
$38.41 CHF 31.64
-55.82%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$3.58 CHF 2.95
-36.59%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$2.04 CHF 1.68
-14.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.60 CHF 2.14
-28.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.28
$4.74 CHF 3.90
-45.78%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.91 CHF 1.57
-2.62%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$2.24 CHF 1.84
-9.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$2.42 CHF 1.99
-40.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$1.41 CHF 1.16
-41.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.83
$10.64 CHF 8.76
-38.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$12.92 CHF 10.64
-56.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$2.23 CHF 1.84
-42.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$3.42 CHF 2.82
-39.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Chur
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
$5.31 CHF 4.38
-55.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
$184 CHF 151
-75.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
$7.49 CHF 6.17
-46.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$4.89 CHF 4.03
-77.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.81
$87.1 CHF 71.8
-80.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$2.10 CHF 1.73
8.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.0K
$40.9K CHF 33.7K
-17.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.0K
$37.6K CHF 31.0K
4.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Chur
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$232 CHF 191
-27.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.72
$32.08 CHF 26.42
-41.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.43
$53.3 CHF 43.87
-37.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Chur
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €40.93
$78.6 CHF 64.8
-41.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.07
$33.32 CHF 27.44
-42.41%
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.75
$21.55 CHF 17.75
-54.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Chur
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €602
$2,424 CHF 1,997
-72.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
$44.7K CHF 36.8K
-62.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Chur
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
$89.0 CHF 73.3
13.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.70
$48.89 CHF 40.27
-6.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$120 CHF 98.4
-16.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$172 CHF 142
-28.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Chur
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,436
$1,709 CHF 1,407
-5.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,065
$1,349 CHF 1,111
-11.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,545
$2,988 CHF 2,461
-4.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,770
$2,517 CHF 2,073
-20.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,740
$7,198 CHF 5,929
5.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,831
$5,335 CHF 4,394
-19.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Chur
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,412
$8,475 CHF 6,980
-81.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
1.72
123.84%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chur: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Chur
$1.3K 12.7% $152
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Chur
$572 112% $302
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Chur
$445 83.7% $203
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Chur
$317 44.7% $98
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Chur
$193 16.2% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Chur
$122 85.3% $56
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Chur
$237 276% $174

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,614 in Lisbon versus $1,709 in Chur. 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 434% higher in Chur, 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 $61.0 in Lisbon versus $107 in Chur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $572 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇨🇭 Chur
🕒 Local time
06:00 6:00 AM
07:00 7:00 AM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
37,082
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Chur 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Chur

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Chur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Lisbon and in Chur compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon, $3,235 in Chur – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Chur?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,335 per month in Lisbon and $4,852 in Chur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Lisbon and Chur?
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.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Chur?
Kindergarten costs $677 per month in Lisbon and $2,424 in Chur. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 112% more in Chur, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,223, than in Chur at $3,235. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chur it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Chur?
It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,223 in Lisbon to $3,235 in Chur. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Lisbon or Chur safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Chur?
If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chur makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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