Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Neuchatel

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $3,126 in Neuchatel, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Neuchatel, Switzerland
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Neuchatel
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,126
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Neuchatel

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,126 in Neuchatel.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Neuchatel $3,126

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $4,749 in Neuchatel.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Neuchatel $4,749

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $6,372 in Neuchatel.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Neuchatel $6,372

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 29% less than in Neuchatel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Neuchatel 130% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Neuchatel
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$27.39 CHF 22.59
-39.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$115 CHF 94.8
-46.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$17.79 CHF 14.67
-36.14%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$6.19 CHF 5.11
-52.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$4.13 CHF 3.41
-44.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$3.51 CHF 2.90
-50.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$10.12 CHF 8.35
-66.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$7.44 CHF 6.14
-55.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Neuchatel
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$2.01 CHF 1.66
-42.29%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$3.84 CHF 3.17
-50.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$3.89 CHF 3.21
-61.18%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$7.29 CHF 6.01
-44.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$27.28 CHF 22.50
-52.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$29.23 CHF 24.11
-73.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$40.70 CHF 33.57
-56.36%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$3.13 CHF 2.58
-26.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$2.15 CHF 1.78
-19.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.92 CHF 2.41
-36.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$6.13 CHF 5.05
-57.75%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$2.54 CHF 2.09
-28.35%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$2.27 CHF 1.87
-13.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$2.33 CHF 1.92
-36.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.23 CHF 1.01
-41.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$10.77 CHF 8.88
-38.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$18.49 CHF 15.25
-69.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.71 CHF 2.24
-49.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.54 CHF 2.09
-15.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Neuchatel
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$2.89 CHF 2.38
-19.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
$90.5 CHF 74.6
-50.62%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$9.76 CHF 8.05
-60.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$4.17 CHF 3.44
-74.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$74.6 CHF 61.5
-77.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$2.22 CHF 1.83
-0.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$39.6K CHF 32.7K
-13.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$38.6K CHF 31.9K
0.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Neuchatel
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$239 CHF 197
-32.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$55.2 CHF 45.55
-66.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$41.62 CHF 34.33
-21.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Neuchatel
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
$85.7 CHF 70.7
-47.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
$42.46 CHF 35.02
-55.02%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$21.92 CHF 18.08
-56.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Neuchatel
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$2,986 CHF 2,463
-77.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$26.7K CHF 22.0K
-33.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Neuchatel
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$126 CHF 104
-19.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$51.4 CHF 42.38
-13.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$146 CHF 121
-32.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$146 CHF 121
-15.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Neuchatel
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$1,647 CHF 1,358
-2.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$1,258 CHF 1,037
-5.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$2,636 CHF 2,174
6.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$2,022 CHF 1,668
-0.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
$16.5K CHF 13.6K
-52.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
$11.2K CHF 9,227
-59.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Neuchatel
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$7,001 CHF 5,774
-77.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
1.87
105.88%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Neuchatel: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Neuchatel
$1.3K 5.7% $67
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Neuchatel
$616 126% $344
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Neuchatel
$443 82.5% $200
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Neuchatel
$336 58.3% $124
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Neuchatel
$211 27.4% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Neuchatel
$130 103% $66
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Neuchatel
$133 110% $69

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,647 in Neuchatel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Neuchatel pays about 4.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $115 in Neuchatel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $616 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇨🇭 Neuchatel
🕒 Local time
05:20 5:20 AM
06:20 6:20 AM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
33,641
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.825 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.921 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Neuchatel 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Neuchatel

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Neuchatel?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $3,126 in Neuchatel, so Lisbon is about 29% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 78% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Neuchatel?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,647 in Neuchatel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Neuchatel?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $2,986 in Neuchatel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 126% higher in Neuchatel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,126 in Neuchatel, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Neuchatel. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Neuchatel?
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.
Is Lisbon or Neuchatel safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Neuchatel are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Neuchatel?
It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Neuchatel on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Lisbon vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?