Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Geneva

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $4,079 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
198

Cost of Living Index in Geneva
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Geneva Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,079

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Geneva

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

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $4,079 in Geneva, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Geneva $4,079

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $6,308 in Geneva, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Geneva $6,308

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $8,538 in Geneva, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Geneva $8,538

Lisbon is about 46% cheaper than Geneva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Geneva sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Geneva by 200%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$30.31 CHF 25.10

-45.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$129 CHF 107

-52.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$19.47 CHF 16.12

-41.65%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$6.40 CHF 5.29

-53.59%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$4.66 CHF 3.86

-50.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$4.13 CHF 3.42

-57.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$9.82 CHF 8.13

-65.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$9.87 CHF 8.17

-66.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$2.35 CHF 1.94

-50.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$3.26 CHF 2.70

-41.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$3.39 CHF 2.80

-55.46%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$8.18 CHF 6.77

-50.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$25.05 CHF 20.74

-48.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$29.22 CHF 24.19

-73.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$42.51 CHF 35.20

-58.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$3.53 CHF 2.93

-34.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.63 CHF 1.35

6.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.85 CHF 2.36

-34.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$4.90 CHF 4.06

-47.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.64 CHF 1.36

10.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.29 CHF 1.90

-13.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.19 CHF 1.81

-32.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$1.66 CHF 1.38

-56.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$10.97 CHF 9.08

-40.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$12.16 CHF 10.06

-53.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$3.21 CHF 2.66

-57.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$3.30 CHF 2.73

-35.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$3.55 CHF 2.94

-34.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$85.8 CHF 71.0

-47.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$7.61 CHF 6.30

-49.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$3.76 CHF 3.11

-71.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$64.2 CHF 53.1

-74.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.35 CHF 1.95

-6.38%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$39.5K CHF 32.7K

-13.53%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$38.8K CHF 32.2K

-0.32%

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

$161 €144

$280 CHF 232

-42.39%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$37.96 CHF 31.43

-51.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$57.6 CHF 47.65

-43.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$77.0 CHF 63.7

-42.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$43.34 CHF 35.88

-55.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$23.96 CHF 19.84

-59.93%

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

$668 €598

$2,484 CHF 2,057

-73.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$35.2K CHF 29.1K

-49.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$133 CHF 110

-23.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$79.1 CHF 65.5

-43.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$169 CHF 140

-41.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$188 CHF 156

-34.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$2,825 CHF 2,339

-43.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$2,115 CHF 1,751

-43.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$5,088 CHF 4,213

-44.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$3,963 CHF 3,281

-49.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$22.5K CHF 18.6K

-65.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$16.3K CHF 13.5K

-71.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$7,271 CHF 6,020

-78.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

1.98

94.44%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Geneva: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Geneva

$2.1K 51.9% 77.7% $925

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Geneva

$600 14.7% 120% $327

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Geneva

$482 11.8% 98.5% $239

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Geneva

$375 9.2% 76.8% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Geneva

$256 6.3% 54.4% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Geneva

$125 3.1% 95.9% $61

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Geneva

$126 3.1% 100% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $2,825 in Geneva. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Geneva are about 4.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $129 in Geneva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $600 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇨🇭 Geneva

🕒 Local time

04:01 4:01 AM

05:01 5:01 AM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

191,557

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Geneva 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Geneva

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 Geneva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Geneva is pricier by about 85%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $6,118 in Geneva. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,608 there versus $2,825 in Geneva.

Groceries cost about 120% more in Geneva, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $129 in Geneva. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,210, than in Geneva at $4,079. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Geneva it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lisbon costs $2,210 versus $4,079 in Geneva. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Geneva makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.