Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and St. Gallen Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and St. Gallen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $3,806 in St. Gallen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $5,351 in St. Gallen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $6,896 in St. Gallen.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 40% less than in St. Gallen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, St. Gallen 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$29.81 CHF 24.61

-40.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$145 CHF 120

-56.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$18.58 CHF 15.34

-37.67%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$6.09 CHF 5.03

-49.10%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$5.96 CHF 4.92

-58.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$5.22 CHF 4.31

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$9.08 CHF 7.49

-61.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$6.40 CHF 5.28

-46.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$2.30 CHF 1.90

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$3.11 CHF 2.56

-38.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$3.85 CHF 3.18

-61.04%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$7.90 CHF 6.52

-49.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$25.34 CHF 20.91

-47.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$28.79 CHF 23.76

-72.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$39.29 CHF 32.43

-54.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.06 CHF 2.53

-23.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.61 CHF 1.33

8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.38 CHF 1.96

-22.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$6.09 CHF 5.03

-58.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.68 CHF 1.39

9.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.16 CHF 1.78

-2.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-33.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.24 CHF 1.02

-33.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$11.16 CHF 9.21

-36.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$11.22 CHF 9.26

-47.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-41.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.38 CHF 1.96

-10.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$4.24 CHF 3.50

-44.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$131 CHF 108

-64.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$6.59 CHF 5.44

-38.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$4.78 CHF 3.95

-76.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$78.7 CHF 64.9

-78.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.22 CHF 1.83

4.05%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$35.8K CHF 29.6K

-4.73%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$39.9K CHF 32.9K

3.72%

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

$169 €147

$314 CHF 259

-46.38%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$37.99 CHF 31.36

-49.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$56.0 CHF 46.19

-40.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$80.9 CHF 66.8

-39.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$98.0 CHF 80.9

-80.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$30.58 CHF 25.24

-68.71%

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

$696 €607

$2,297 CHF 1,896

-69.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$33.1K CHF 27.3K

-47.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$149 CHF 123

-29.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$65.7 CHF 54.2

-27.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$146 CHF 121

-31.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$185 CHF 152

-32.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$1,825 CHF 1,506

-8.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$1,714 CHF 1,415

-27.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$2,906 CHF 2,398

2.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$2,207 CHF 1,822

-7.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$12.5K CHF 10.3K

-37.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$9,126 CHF 7,532

-51.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$6,752 CHF 5,573

-75.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

2.1

80.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for St. Gallen: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $1,825 in St. Gallen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays 314% 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 $145 in St. Gallen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $575 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 St. Gallen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and St. Gallen differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $3,806 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 314% lower in St. Gallen. 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 $1,825 in St. Gallen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $2,297 in St. Gallen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 108% higher in St. Gallen. 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 St. Gallen 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 66% less than in St. Gallen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.