Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lucerne Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lucerne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $3,860 in Lucerne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $5,822 in Lucerne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $7,784 in Lucerne.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 41% less than in Lucerne, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Lucerne 190% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$36.73 CHF 29.88

-57.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$139 CHF 113

-54.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$15.91 CHF 12.94

-34.32%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$6.44 CHF 5.24

-54.81%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$5.36 CHF 4.36

-57.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$4.26 CHF 3.47

-64.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$8.71 CHF 7.09

-59.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$7.44 CHF 6.05

-46.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$2.25 CHF 1.83

-52.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.67 CHF 2.98

-52.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$4.22 CHF 3.43

-59.72%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$7.55 CHF 6.14

-56.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$30.24 CHF 24.60

-56.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$34.70 CHF 28.23

-77.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$50.4 CHF 41.03

-68.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$3.61 CHF 2.94

-36.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$2.22 CHF 1.80

-25.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$3.00 CHF 2.44

-32.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$6.24 CHF 5.07

-60.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$2.49 CHF 2.03

-28.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$2.53 CHF 2.06

-18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$2.56 CHF 2.08

-23.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$1.27 CHF 1.03

-34.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$11.16 CHF 9.08

-41.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$13.53 CHF 11.01

-58.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$2.44 CHF 1.98

-45.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$3.43 CHF 2.79

-12.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$4.86 CHF 3.96

-53.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$98.9 CHF 80.4

-53.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$8.21 CHF 6.68

-48.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$4.54 CHF 3.69

-81.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$89.4 CHF 72.7

-78.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.21 CHF 1.80

-8.60%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$40.5K CHF 32.9K

-13.62%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$43.1K CHF 35.1K

-8.05%

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

$148 €129

$245 CHF 199

-39.58%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$75.5 CHF 61.4

-72.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$56.6 CHF 46.05

-30.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$93.8 CHF 76.3

-48.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$44.09 CHF 35.86

-58.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$22.18 CHF 18.04

-58.97%

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

$615 €536

$2,960 CHF 2,407

-79.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$43.2K CHF 35.1K

-62.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$138 CHF 112

-26.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$77.7 CHF 63.2

-45.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$134 CHF 109

-30.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$163 CHF 132

-25.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$2,060 CHF 1,676

-21.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$1,762 CHF 1,433

-28.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$3,020 CHF 2,456

1.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$2,857 CHF 2,324

-28.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$21.8K CHF 17.8K

-64.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$12.4K CHF 10.1K

-65.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$6,694 CHF 5,445

-76.07%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Lucerne: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $2,060 in Lucerne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lucerne pays 318% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $139 in Lucerne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $680 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 Lucerne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Lucerne differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $3,860 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 318% lower in Lucerne. 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $2,060 in Lucerne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $2,960 in Lucerne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 155% higher in Lucerne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 Lucerne 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 69% less than in Lucerne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.