Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Fribourg

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $3,310 in Fribourg, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Fribourg
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Fribourg Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Fribourg

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Fribourg

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 Fribourg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,223 per month in Lisbon vs $3,310 in Fribourg, rent included.

Lisbon $2,223
Fribourg $3,310

A couple spends around $3,271 per month in Lisbon vs $4,866 in Fribourg, rent included.

Lisbon $3,271
Fribourg $4,866

A family of three spends $4,319 per month in Lisbon vs $6,423 in Fribourg, rent included.

Lisbon $4,319
Fribourg $6,423

Lisbon is about 33% cheaper than Fribourg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Fribourg sit above the global median – Lisbon by 65%, Fribourg by 145%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$30.10 CHF 24.79

-45.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$118 CHF 97.0

-48.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$15.27 CHF 12.58

-26.20%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$6.14 CHF 5.06

-50.16%

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

$2.26 €2.01

$4.89 CHF 4.03

-53.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$5.12 CHF 4.22

-66.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$7.18 CHF 5.91

-52.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$6.45 CHF 5.31

-47.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$2.14 CHF 1.76

-47.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$3.15 CHF 2.59

-40.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$3.51 CHF 2.89

-56.41%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$7.23 CHF 5.96

-45.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$23.79 CHF 19.60

-46.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$24.77 CHF 20.40

-68.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$36.43 CHF 30.01

-53.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$3.52 CHF 2.90

-35.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.68 CHF 1.39

4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$2.46 CHF 2.03

-24.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$4.45 CHF 3.67

-42.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.78 CHF 1.47

4.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.07 CHF 1.70

-2.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$2.24 CHF 1.85

-35.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$1.23 CHF 1.01

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$10.98 CHF 9.04

-40.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$10.20 CHF 8.40

-44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$3.45 CHF 2.84

-62.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.33 CHF 1.92

-11.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$3.57 CHF 2.94

-34.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

$85.7 CHF 70.6

-48.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$9.84 CHF 8.10

-59.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$4.02 CHF 3.31

-72.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$72.4 CHF 59.7

-77.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.26 CHF 1.86

0.88%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

-19.24%

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

$39.3K €35.0K

$38.8K CHF 32.0K

1.21%

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

$167 €149

$336 CHF 277

-50.19%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$40.26 CHF 33.16

-53.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$56.2 CHF 46.31

-41.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$58.8 CHF 48.39

-21.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

$29.82 CHF 24.56

-35.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$21.24 CHF 17.50

-53.67%

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

$677 €602

$1,762 CHF 1,451

-61.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$35.9K CHF 29.5K

-52.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$101 CHF 83.0

0.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$57.0 CHF 46.97

-19.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$159 CHF 131

-37.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$189 CHF 156

-34.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$1,570 CHF 1,293

2.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$1,434 CHF 1,181

-16.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$2,450 CHF 2,018

16.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$2,176 CHF 1,792

-8.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

$20.6K CHF 16.9K

-63.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

$13.7K CHF 11.3K

-68.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$6,808 CHF 5,607

-76.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

2.31

66.67%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Fribourg: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Fribourg

$1.4K 43.3% 19.8% $237

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Fribourg

$536 16.2% 98.8% $266

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Fribourg

$449 13.6% 85.4% $207

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Fribourg

$433 13.1% 97.3% $213

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Fribourg

$228 6.9% 36.8% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Fribourg

$101 3.1% 54.1% $36

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Fribourg

$130 3.9% 106% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,614 in Lisbon versus $1,570 in Fribourg. 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 329% higher in Fribourg, 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 $118 in Fribourg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $536 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇨🇭 Fribourg

🕒 Local time

11:04 11:04 AM

12:04 12:04 PM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

37,485

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Fribourg 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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 Fribourg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fribourg costs about 49% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,335 per month in Lisbon and $4,965 in Fribourg. 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.

Kindergarten costs $677 per month in Lisbon and $1,762 in Fribourg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 99% more in Fribourg, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,223, than in Fribourg at $3,310. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fribourg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lisbon costs $2,223 versus $3,310 in Fribourg. 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, Fribourg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.