Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lachen

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $3,423 in Lachen, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Lachen, Switzerland
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Lachen
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,423
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Lachen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,423 in Lachen.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Lachen $3,423

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $5,210 in Lachen.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Lachen $5,210

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $6,997 in Lachen.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Lachen $6,997

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 35% less than in Lachen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Lachen 152% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Lachen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$32.82 CHF 27.23
-49.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$119 CHF 98.5
-48.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$16.19 CHF 13.43
-29.83%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$6.35 CHF 5.27
-53.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$5.83 CHF 4.83
-60.72%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$5.06 CHF 4.20
-65.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$8.32 CHF 6.90
-59.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$9.35 CHF 7.76
-64.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Lachen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$2.23 CHF 1.85
-47.98%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$3.27 CHF 2.71
-41.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$4.34 CHF 3.60
-65.21%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$7.60 CHF 6.31
-47.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$26.92 CHF 22.33
-51.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$25.91 CHF 21.50
-70.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$40.57 CHF 33.65
-56.22%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$3.58 CHF 2.97
-35.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$2.04 CHF 1.70
-15.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$2.60 CHF 2.15
-28.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$4.83 CHF 4.00
-46.38%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$2.04 CHF 1.70
-10.78%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$2.17 CHF 1.80
-9.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$2.35 CHF 1.95
-37.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.43 CHF 1.19
-49.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$10.97 CHF 9.10
-40.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$13.13 CHF 10.89
-57.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.32 CHF 1.92
-41.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$3.46 CHF 2.87
-38.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Lachen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$4.39 CHF 3.64
-46.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
$103 CHF 85.1
-56.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$7.85 CHF 6.51
-50.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$4.92 CHF 4.08
-78.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$87.3 CHF 72.4
-81.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$2.17 CHF 1.80
1.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$38.3K CHF 31.8K
-10.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$39.0K CHF 32.3K
-0.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Lachen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$237 CHF 197
-32.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$32.20 CHF 26.72
-42.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$65.7 CHF 54.5
-50.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Lachen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$89.4 CHF 74.1
-50.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
$45.79 CHF 37.99
-58.29%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$21.98 CHF 18.23
-56.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Lachen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$2,810 CHF 2,331
-76.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$44.5K CHF 36.9K
-60.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Lachen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$137 CHF 114
-25.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$86.5 CHF 71.8
-48.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$146 CHF 121
-32.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$173 CHF 143
-28.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Lachen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$1,781 CHF 1,477
-9.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$1,486 CHF 1,233
-19.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
$2,940 CHF 2,439
-4.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
$2,494 CHF 2,069
-19.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
$16.4K CHF 13.6K
-52.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
$12.5K CHF 10.4K
-63.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Lachen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
$9,492 CHF 7,874
-83.41%
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 27, 2026

Last update for Lachen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Lachen
$1.5K 24.9% $296
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Lachen
$581 113% $309
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Lachen
$491 103% $249
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Lachen
$335 57.8% $123
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Lachen
$244 46.9% $78
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Lachen
$133 109% $70
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Lachen
$153 141% $89

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,781 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays about 6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $119 in Lachen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $581 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇨🇭 Lachen
🕒 Local time
16:46 4:46 PM
17:46 5:46 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
9,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.923 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Lachen 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Lachen

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 Lachen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisbon or Lachen?
Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Lachen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Lisbon or in Lachen?
On paper, salaries run 83% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Lisbon compared to Lachen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,781 in Lachen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Lisbon compared to Lachen?
A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 56% less than in Lachen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Lisbon and in Lachen?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $2,810 in Lachen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Lisbon or in Lachen?
At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,423 in Lachen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Lachen. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Lisbon or Lachen?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
How safe is Lisbon compared to Lachen?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Lachen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Lachen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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