Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lausanne

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $3,837 in Lausanne, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
183

Cost of Living Index in Lausanne
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Lausanne Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Lausanne

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Lausanne

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,837 in Lausanne.

Lisbon $2,210
Lausanne $3,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $5,789 in Lausanne.

Lisbon $3,275
Lausanne $5,789

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $7,741 in Lausanne.

Lisbon $4,341
Lausanne $7,741

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 42% less than in Lausanne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Lausanne 182% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.95

$30.81 CHF 25.56

-45.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$116 CHF 96.0

-46.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

$17.81 CHF 14.77

-36.22%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.67

$6.13 CHF 5.08

-51.55%

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

$2.29 €2.06

$5.17 CHF 4.29

-55.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$4.15 CHF 3.44

-58.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.06

$10.14 CHF 8.42

-66.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$9.59 CHF 7.95

-65.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$2.22 CHF 1.84

-47.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.72

$3.81 CHF 3.16

-49.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$3.28 CHF 2.72

-53.96%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$7.24 CHF 6.00

-44.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

$24.40 CHF 20.24

-46.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

$27.51 CHF 22.82

-71.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.95

$39.81 CHF 33.02

-55.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$3.54 CHF 2.93

-35.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

$2.15 CHF 1.78

-19.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$2.49 CHF 2.07

-25.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$4.49 CHF 3.73

-42.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$1.86 CHF 1.54

-2.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$1.94 CHF 1.61

1.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.99 CHF 1.65

-26.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$1.69 CHF 1.40

-57.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

$10.99 CHF 9.12

-40.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$14.96 CHF 12.41

-62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.64 CHF 2.19

-48.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

$3.13 CHF 2.60

-31.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

$4.68 CHF 3.88

-50.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

$96.1 CHF 79.7

-53.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

$7.94 CHF 6.58

-51.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$4.45 CHF 3.69

-75.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

$83.5 CHF 69.2

-80.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$2.31 CHF 1.91

-4.76%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

$39.4K CHF 32.7K

-13.22%

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

$38.7K €34.8K

$39.6K CHF 32.8K

-2.11%

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

$161 €145

$299 CHF 248

-46.06%

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

$18.41 €16.54

$37.02 CHF 30.71

-50.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

$52.2 CHF 43.26

-37.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.02

$70.6 CHF 58.6

-36.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

$48.90 CHF 40.56

-60.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

$24.49 CHF 20.32

-60.80%

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

$668 €600

$2,960 CHF 2,455

-77.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$36.8K CHF 30.5K

-52.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

$143 CHF 119

-28.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.94

$78.8 CHF 65.4

-43.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

$139 CHF 116

-29.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$213 CHF 177

-41.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

$2,369 CHF 1,966

-32.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

$1,863 CHF 1,545

-36.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,526

$4,244 CHF 3,520

-33.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,808

$3,230 CHF 2,680

-37.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

$18.4K CHF 15.3K

-57.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

$13.6K CHF 11.2K

-66.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

$6,587 CHF 5,465

-76.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

1.95

97.44%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Lausanne

$1.9K 48.6% 56.5% $673

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Lausanne

$583 15.2% 114% $310

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Lausanne

$481 12.5% 98.1% $238

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Lausanne

$388 10.1% 82.7% $176

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Lausanne

$259 6.7% 55.9% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Lausanne

$120 3.1% 87.7% $56

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Lausanne

$145 3.8% 129% $82

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $2,369 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lausanne pays about 4.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $116 in Lausanne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $583 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇨🇭 Lausanne

🕒 Local time

19:31 7:31 PM

20:31 8:31 PM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

133,521

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Lausanne 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $3,837 in Lausanne, so Lisbon is about 42% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 76% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $2,369 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 $62 versus $116 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 $3,837 in Lausanne – Lisbon is about 42% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,837 in Lausanne, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Lausanne. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lisbon is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lausanne, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Lausanne are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.