Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Schaffhausen Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Schaffhausen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,172 in Schaffhausen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,289 in Lisbon versus $4,928 in Schaffhausen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Lisbon versus $6,685 in Schaffhausen.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Schaffhausen 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.71 €13.78

$31.30 CHF 25.55

-49.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €55.2

$122 CHF 99.4

-48.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.24

$16.11 CHF 13.15

-34.64%

Cappuccino

$2.88 €2.53

$5.68 CHF 4.63

-49.30%

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

$2.25 €1.98

$5.36 CHF 4.37

-58.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.37

$4.37 CHF 3.57

-64.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.97

$7.99 CHF 6.52

-57.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.42

$7.57 CHF 6.18

-48.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.95

$1.96 CHF 1.60

-44.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.52

$3.78 CHF 3.09

-54.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.69 CHF 3.01

-52.30%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.77

$7.84 CHF 6.40

-59.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.66

$29.80 CHF 24.32

-55.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €6.90

$35.49 CHF 28.97

-77.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 €13.89

$51.0 CHF 41.59

-68.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.11

$3.69 CHF 3.01

-34.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.49

$2.26 CHF 1.84

-24.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.88 CHF 2.35

-29.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$6.10 CHF 4.98

-58.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$2.49 CHF 2.03

-25.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.48 CHF 2.03

-16.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.76

$2.67 CHF 2.18

-25.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.68

$1.27 CHF 1.04

-38.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.83

$10.94 CHF 8.93

-39.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.07

$13.42 CHF 10.95

-56.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.36 CHF 1.11

1.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.65

$2.60 CHF 2.12

16.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.04

$3.95 CHF 3.22

-41.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.88

$85.7 CHF 69.9

-46.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.58

$10.05 CHF 8.20

-59.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.70

$4.04 CHF 3.30

-80.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.65 €16.36

$61.9 CHF 50.5

-69.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.76

$2.13 CHF 1.74

-6.10%

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

$35.4K €31.0K

$39.7K CHF 32.4K

-10.86%

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

$39.1K €34.3K

$42.4K CHF 34.6K

-7.94%

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

$150 €132

$247 CHF 202

-39.24%

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

$20.55 €18.03

$28.70 CHF 23.42

-28.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 €34.61

$42.94 CHF 35.05

-8.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 €42.17

$109 CHF 88.6

-55.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 €16.40

$47.47 CHF 38.74

-60.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 €8.16

$22.34 CHF 18.24

-58.37%

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

$628 €551

$3,354 CHF 2,738

-81.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$43.5K CHF 35.5K

-62.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.1

$112 CHF 91.4

-9.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 €36.45

$67.7 CHF 55.2

-38.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 €81.1

$133 CHF 109

-30.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €108

$154 CHF 126

-20.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,428

$1,226 CHF 1,001

32.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,081

$1,247 CHF 1,018

-1.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 €2,742

$2,660 CHF 2,171

17.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 €1,805

$2,215 CHF 1,808

-7.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,762 €6,810

$8,226 CHF 6,714

-5.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,386 €3,848

$8,564 CHF 6,990

-48.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,621 €1,422

$7,453 CHF 6,083

-78.25%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Schaffhausen: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,226 in Schaffhausen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Schaffhausen pays 360% 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 $122 in Schaffhausen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $675 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 Schaffhausen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Schaffhausen differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $3,172 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 360% lower in Schaffhausen. 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $1,226 in Schaffhausen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $628 in Lisbon versus $3,354 in Schaffhausen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 151% higher in Schaffhausen. 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 Schaffhausen 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 Schaffhausen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.