Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Riehen Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Riehen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $3,419 in Riehen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $5,193 in Riehen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $6,968 in Riehen.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 33% less than in Riehen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Riehen 150% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$30.71 CHF 25.34

-42.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$124 CHF 102

-49.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$15.83 CHF 13.06

-26.85%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$6.12 CHF 5.05

-49.35%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$4.97 CHF 4.11

-49.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$5.45 CHF 4.50

-68.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$7.25 CHF 5.98

-52.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$6.63 CHF 5.47

-48.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$2.28 CHF 1.88

-49.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$3.20 CHF 2.64

-40.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$3.55 CHF 2.93

-57.75%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$7.22 CHF 5.96

-44.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$25.08 CHF 20.70

-47.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$26.22 CHF 21.64

-69.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$38.09 CHF 31.44

-52.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.56 CHF 2.94

-33.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.75 CHF 1.44

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.64 CHF 2.18

-29.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$4.51 CHF 3.72

-43.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.76 CHF 1.45

4.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.07 CHF 1.71

1.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$2.32 CHF 1.91

-35.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.22 CHF 1.00

-32.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$11.00 CHF 9.08

-35.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$10.60 CHF 8.75

-44.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$3.62 CHF 2.99

-63.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.50 CHF 2.06

-14.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$4.37 CHF 3.61

-46.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$105 CHF 86.3

-55.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$9.88 CHF 8.15

-58.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$4.00 CHF 3.30

-71.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$73.2 CHF 60.4

-76.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.18 CHF 1.80

5.96%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$44.0K CHF 36.3K

-22.49%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$40.8K CHF 33.7K

1.29%

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

$169 €147

$349 CHF 288

-51.66%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$42.08 CHF 34.73

-54.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$59.3 CHF 48.97

-43.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$91.2 CHF 75.3

-46.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$45.84 CHF 37.83

-57.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$21.27 CHF 17.56

-55.01%

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

$696 €607

$1,861 CHF 1,536

-62.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$37.1K CHF 30.7K

-53.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$102 CHF 84.1

3.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$57.7 CHF 47.60

-17.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$169 CHF 140

-40.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$190 CHF 157

-34.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$1,739 CHF 1,435

-4.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$1,482 CHF 1,224

-15.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$3,486 CHF 2,877

-14.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$2,520 CHF 2,080

-18.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$16.4K CHF 13.6K

-52.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$12.1K CHF 10.0K

-63.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$8,725 CHF 7,202

-81.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

2.31

63.64%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Riehen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $1,739 in Riehen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riehen 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 $124 in Riehen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $558 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 Riehen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Riehen differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $3,419 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 435% lower in Riehen. 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $1,739 in Riehen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $1,861 in Riehen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 101% higher in Riehen. 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 Riehen 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 49% less than in Riehen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.