Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Winterthur Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Winterthur

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $4,070 in Winterthur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $5,904 in Winterthur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $7,737 in Winterthur.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 43% less than in Winterthur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Winterthur 196% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$31.19 CHF 25.19

-44.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$124 CHF 100

-48.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$18.76 CHF 15.15

-39.29%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$6.03 CHF 4.87

-47.10%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$5.41 CHF 4.37

-54.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$5.02 CHF 4.06

-64.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$8.74 CHF 7.06

-58.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$6.82 CHF 5.51

-50.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$2.23 CHF 1.80

-44.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$4.06 CHF 3.28

-51.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$4.76 CHF 3.84

-68.07%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$7.59 CHF 6.13

-46.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$33.05 CHF 26.69

-59.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$30.13 CHF 24.33

-72.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$43.32 CHF 34.98

-57.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$4.36 CHF 3.52

-47.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.18 CHF 1.76

-20.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$3.23 CHF 2.61

-42.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$6.92 CHF 5.59

-61.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.54 CHF 2.05

-24.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.56 CHF 2.07

-18.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$2.51 CHF 2.03

-42.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.19 CHF 0.96

-29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$10.92 CHF 8.82

-37.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$13.62 CHF 11.00

-58.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$3.35 CHF 2.71

-58.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$4.07 CHF 3.29

-45.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$5.60 CHF 4.52

-57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$95.8 CHF 77.4

-51.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$5.56 CHF 4.49

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$3.53 CHF 2.85

-67.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$61.7 CHF 49.78

-71.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.30 CHF 1.85

0.87%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$43.6K CHF 35.2K

-18.86%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$40.3K CHF 32.5K

2.92%

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

$170 €146

$428 CHF 346

-60.21%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$31.51 CHF 25.44

-38.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$79.7 CHF 64.4

-57.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$82.2 CHF 66.3

-41.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$33.74 CHF 27.24

-41.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$28.01 CHF 22.62

-64.58%

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

$717 €617

$1,875 CHF 1,514

-61.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$33.3K CHF 26.9K

-47.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$183 CHF 147

-42.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$148 CHF 120

-68.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$205 CHF 166

-49.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$470 CHF 380

-73.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$2,363 CHF 1,908

-29.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$1,695 CHF 1,369

-25.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$3,747 CHF 3,026

-20.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$2,547 CHF 2,056

-21.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$23.1K CHF 18.6K

-66.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$16.8K CHF 13.5K

-72.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$6,469 CHF 5,224

-75.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

2.48

52.82%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Winterthur: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $2,363 in Winterthur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Winterthur pays 309% 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 Winterthur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $664 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 Winterthur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Winterthur differ by about 76% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $4,070 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 309% lower in Winterthur. 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $2,363 in Winterthur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $1,875 in Winterthur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 135% higher in Winterthur. 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 Winterthur 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 76% less than in Winterthur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.