Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Riehen

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $3,443 in Riehen, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Riehen, Switzerland
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Riehen
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,443
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Riehen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,443 in Riehen.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Riehen $3,443

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $5,179 in Riehen.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Riehen $5,179

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $6,916 in Riehen.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Riehen $6,916

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 36% less than in Riehen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Riehen 153% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Riehen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$29.94 CHF 24.70
-44.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$122 CHF 101
-49.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$15.88 CHF 13.10
-28.46%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$6.29 CHF 5.19
-52.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$4.87 CHF 4.01
-52.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$5.26 CHF 4.34
-66.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$7.06 CHF 5.82
-51.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$6.77 CHF 5.59
-51.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Riehen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$2.19 CHF 1.80
-47.03%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$3.29 CHF 2.71
-41.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$3.56 CHF 2.94
-57.58%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$7.44 CHF 6.13
-45.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$24.29 CHF 20.04
-46.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$25.08 CHF 20.69
-69.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$37.05 CHF 30.56
-52.06%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$3.36 CHF 2.77
-31.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.70 CHF 1.40
1.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.45 CHF 2.02
-24.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$4.43 CHF 3.65
-41.53%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.72 CHF 1.42
5.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$2.01 CHF 1.66
-1.99%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$2.24 CHF 1.85
-34.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.24 CHF 1.03
-41.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$11.05 CHF 9.12
-40.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$10.35 CHF 8.53
-45.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$3.43 CHF 2.83
-60.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.44 CHF 2.01
-12.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Riehen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$4.17 CHF 3.44
-44.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
$99.9 CHF 82.4
-55.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$9.90 CHF 8.16
-61.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$4.08 CHF 3.37
-73.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$73.6 CHF 60.7
-77.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$2.23 CHF 1.84
-1.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$38.6K CHF 31.8K
-11.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$39.9K CHF 32.9K
-2.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Riehen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$341 CHF 281
-52.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$41.65 CHF 34.35
-55.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$57.8 CHF 47.69
-43.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Riehen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
$88.1 CHF 72.7
-49.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
$45.63 CHF 37.64
-58.14%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$21.31 CHF 17.57
-54.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Riehen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$1,792 CHF 1,478
-62.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$37.0K CHF 30.5K
-52.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Riehen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$102 CHF 84.0
0.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$58.0 CHF 47.84
-23.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$165 CHF 136
-40.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$191 CHF 157
-35.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Riehen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$1,775 CHF 1,464
-9.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$1,498 CHF 1,235
-20.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$3,446 CHF 2,842
-18.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$2,496 CHF 2,058
-19.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
$16.8K CHF 13.9K
-53.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
$12.6K CHF 10.4K
-63.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Riehen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$8,542 CHF 7,045
-81.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
2.31
66.67%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Riehen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Riehen
$1.5K 25.9% $308
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Riehen
$543 99.3% $271
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Riehen
$452 86.3% $209
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Riehen
$440 107% $228
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Riehen
$232 40% $66
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Riehen
$131 105% $67
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Riehen
$147 132% $84

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,775 in Riehen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riehen pays about 5.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $122 in Riehen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $543 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇨🇭 Riehen
🕒 Local time
04:37 4:37 AM
05:37 5:37 AM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
20,970
💱 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 Riehen 1,680 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Riehen

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 Riehen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Riehen?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $3,443 in Riehen, so Lisbon is about 36% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 82% 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 Riehen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,775 in Riehen. 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 Riehen?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $1,792 in Riehen. 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 99% higher in Riehen. 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 $3,443 in Riehen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Riehen. 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 Riehen?
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 Riehen safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Riehen are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Riehen?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Riehen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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