Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lausanne Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lausanne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,565 in Lausanne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $5,676 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $7,788 in Lausanne.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 38% less than in Lausanne, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Lausanne 166% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$32.84 CHF 25.92

-51.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$145 CHF 115

-55.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$18.73 CHF 14.78

-43.89%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$6.07 CHF 4.79

-52.72%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$5.59 CHF 4.41

-59.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$4.70 CHF 3.71

-68.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$9.64 CHF 7.60

-63.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$8.41 CHF 6.64

-53.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.19 CHF 1.73

-47.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$4.17 CHF 3.29

-58.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$4.48 CHF 3.54

-60.71%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$7.01 CHF 5.53

-54.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$26.22 CHF 20.69

-48.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$28.78 CHF 22.71

-72.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$52.0 CHF 41.01

-69.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.60 CHF 2.84

-35.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.19 CHF 1.73

-22.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.95 CHF 2.33

-31.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$6.43 CHF 5.08

-61.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.51 CHF 1.98

-26.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.35 CHF 1.86

-14.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.49 CHF 1.96

-22.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.39 CHF 1.10

-43.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$10.93 CHF 8.63

-39.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$16.11 CHF 12.72

-64.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.01 CHF 1.59

-31.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.20 CHF 2.53

-7.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$4.74 CHF 3.74

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$97.6 CHF 77.0

-53.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$7.98 CHF 6.30

-46.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$3.26 CHF 2.57

-74.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$67.6 CHF 53.3

-72.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.15 CHF 1.70

-4.19%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$41.1K CHF 32.4K

-16.55%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$41.7K CHF 32.9K

-5.78%

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

$148 €127

$322 CHF 254

-54.09%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$50.3 CHF 39.70

-59.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$57.6 CHF 45.46

-31.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$76.0 CHF 60.0

-37.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$47.71 CHF 37.65

-60.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$26.56 CHF 20.96

-65.44%

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

$614 €529

$2,763 CHF 2,180

-77.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$34.4K CHF 27.1K

-53.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$110 CHF 87.0

-5.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$70.2 CHF 55.4

-40.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$149 CHF 117

-36.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$185 CHF 146

-35.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$1,834 CHF 1,448

-11.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$1,486 CHF 1,173

-15.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$3,523 CHF 2,780

-13.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$2,944 CHF 2,323

-31.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$19.6K CHF 15.4K

-60.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$14.4K CHF 11.4K

-70.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$7,571 CHF 5,975

-78.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

2.5

52.40%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,834 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lausanne pays 372% 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 $145 in Lausanne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $651 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 Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Lausanne differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $3,565 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lausanne earns 372% 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 $1,834 in Lausanne. 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 $145 in Lausanne. 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 $3,565 in Lausanne – a 61% 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 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.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Lausanne 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 61% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.