Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Neuchatel Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Neuchatel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $3,260 in Neuchatel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $4,995 in Neuchatel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $6,730 in Neuchatel.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 30% less than in Neuchatel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Neuchatel 136% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.13

$28.07 CHF 22.92

-37.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$115 CHF 94.0

-43.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$18.33 CHF 14.97

-36.44%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$6.36 CHF 5.19

-48.74%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$4.00 CHF 3.26

-37.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$3.41 CHF 2.78

-51.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$8.92 CHF 7.29

-61.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$7.50 CHF 6.13

-52.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$2.13 CHF 1.74

-44.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$3.17 CHF 2.59

-38.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$3.26 CHF 2.67

-52.15%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$7.18 CHF 5.87

-44.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.45

$26.47 CHF 21.62

-49.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$28.27 CHF 23.09

-70.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$40.32 CHF 32.92

-54.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.27 CHF 2.67

-29.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.20 CHF 1.79

-21.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$3.01 CHF 2.46

-35.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.28

$4.84 CHF 3.95

-45.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.77 CHF 1.44

7.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.03 CHF 1.65

3.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$2.29 CHF 1.87

-37.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.29 CHF 1.05

-37.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$11.21 CHF 9.16

-37.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$12.13 CHF 9.91

-51.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.39 CHF 1.95

-43.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.26 CHF 1.85

-4.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$3.03 CHF 2.47

-21.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.86

$95.4 CHF 77.9

-51.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$7.80 CHF 6.37

-46.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$4.39 CHF 3.59

-74.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$76.7 CHF 62.6

-77.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.20 CHF 1.80

2.27%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$39.8K CHF 32.5K

-13.48%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$40.1K CHF 32.8K

3.77%

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

$171 €147

$283 CHF 231

-39.72%

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

$19.01 €16.39

$53.2 CHF 43.46

-64.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.56

$36.81 CHF 30.06

-6.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.81

$91.0 CHF 74.3

-45.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.82

$44.10 CHF 36.01

-55.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$22.56 CHF 18.42

-55.23%

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

$699 €603

$2,544 CHF 2,077

-72.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$26.6K CHF 21.7K

-33.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$114 CHF 93.2

-8.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.36

$58.7 CHF 47.95

-18.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$154 CHF 126

-34.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$149 CHF 121

-13.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,433

$1,718 CHF 1,403

-3.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$1,453 CHF 1,186

-15.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,514

$2,683 CHF 2,191

8.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,745

$2,455 CHF 2,004

-17.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,010

$21.2K CHF 17.3K

-61.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,997

$14.1K CHF 11.5K

-67.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$7,333 CHF 5,988

-77.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

1.87

102.14%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Neuchatel: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $1,718 in Neuchatel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Neuchatel pays 353% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $115 in Neuchatel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $577 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 Neuchatel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Neuchatel differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $3,260 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 353% lower in Neuchatel. 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $1,718 in Neuchatel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $2,544 in Neuchatel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 105% higher in Neuchatel. 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 Neuchatel 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 44% less than in Neuchatel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.