Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Montreux Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Montreux

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $4,060 in Montreux.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $5,759 in Montreux.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $7,458 in Montreux.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 44% less than in Montreux, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Montreux 202% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$30.37 CHF 24.11

-47.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$147 CHF 117

-56.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$19.19 CHF 15.23

-45.91%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$5.87 CHF 4.66

-52.47%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$5.36 CHF 4.25

-56.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$4.96 CHF 3.94

-68.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$9.95 CHF 7.90

-65.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$8.47 CHF 6.72

-53.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$2.15 CHF 1.70

-49.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$3.92 CHF 3.11

-54.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$4.41 CHF 3.50

-61.22%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$7.35 CHF 5.83

-57.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$28.80 CHF 22.86

-52.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$28.13 CHF 22.34

-71.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$43.47 CHF 34.51

-64.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$3.98 CHF 3.16

-42.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.18 CHF 1.73

-24.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.85 CHF 2.26

-31.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$6.34 CHF 5.03

-60.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$3.12 CHF 2.47

-42.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.41 CHF 1.91

-16.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.49 CHF 1.98

-20.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.57 CHF 1.25

-46.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$11.05 CHF 8.77

-38.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$13.61 CHF 10.81

-58.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.04 CHF 1.62

-31.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$3.14 CHF 2.49

-3.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$4.22 CHF 3.35

-46.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$91.6 CHF 72.7

-50.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$7.67 CHF 6.09

-44.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$4.08 CHF 3.24

-79.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$66.3 CHF 52.6

-72.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.18 CHF 1.73

-8.72%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$39.9K CHF 31.6K

-12.10%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$41.4K CHF 32.9K

-4.57%

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

$146 €126

$308 CHF 245

-52.57%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$50.1 CHF 39.74

-59.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$59.2 CHF 46.99

-34.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$78.9 CHF 62.6

-37.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$36.46 CHF 28.94

-48.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$22.70 CHF 18.02

-58.06%

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

$608 €524

$2,546 CHF 2,022

-76.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$34.0K CHF 27.0K

-51.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$107 CHF 84.8

-2.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$69.2 CHF 55.0

-39.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$174 CHF 139

-47.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$185 CHF 147

-35.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$2,230 CHF 1,770

-27.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$1,986 CHF 1,577

-36.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$3,387 CHF 2,689

-10.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$2,723 CHF 2,162

-26.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$16.7K CHF 13.3K

-54.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$11.8K CHF 9,340

-63.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$8,482 CHF 6,734

-81.31%

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 8, 2026

Last update for Montreux: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $2,230 in Montreux. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreux pays 435% 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 $147 in Montreux for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $628 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 Montreux: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Montreux differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $4,060 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Montreux earns 435% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $2,230 in Montreux. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $2,546 in Montreux. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 134% higher in Montreux. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,263 in Lisbon versus $4,060 in Montreux, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Montreux. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Montreux 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 79% less than in Montreux. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.