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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $4,133 in Winterthur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $6,195 in Winterthur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $8,258 in Winterthur.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 47% less than in Winterthur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Winterthur 208% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$39.25 CHF 30.94

-59.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$128 CHF 101

-49.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$20.09 CHF 15.84

-47.69%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$6.63 CHF 5.23

-56.71%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$4.97 CHF 3.92

-54.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$4.49 CHF 3.54

-66.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$8.86 CHF 6.99

-60.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$6.00 CHF 4.73

-35.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.19 CHF 1.72

-47.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$4.43 CHF 3.50

-60.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$4.90 CHF 3.86

-64.08%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$7.73 CHF 6.09

-58.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$30.92 CHF 24.38

-56.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$32.95 CHF 25.98

-75.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$47.02 CHF 37.07

-66.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.27 CHF 2.58

-29.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.15 CHF 1.69

-20.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.01 CHF 2.37

-33.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$7.76 CHF 6.12

-68.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.43 CHF 1.92

-24.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.27 CHF 1.79

-11.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.59 CHF 2.04

-25.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.04 CHF 0.82

-24.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$11.36 CHF 8.96

-41.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$15.29 CHF 12.05

-62.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$2.06 CHF 1.62

-33.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.42 CHF 2.70

-13.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$4.02 CHF 3.17

-41.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$125 CHF 98.8

-63.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$8.87 CHF 6.99

-51.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$4.96 CHF 3.91

-83.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$86.8 CHF 68.4

-78.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.22 CHF 1.75

-7.21%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$41.1K CHF 32.4K

-16.50%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$46.5K CHF 36.6K

-15.47%

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

$148 €127

$254 CHF 200

-41.76%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$66.8 CHF 52.7

-69.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$58.6 CHF 46.22

-32.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$116 CHF 91.8

-58.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$43.72 CHF 34.47

-56.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$28.13 CHF 22.18

-67.37%

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

$614 €528

$2,685 CHF 2,117

-77.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$21.2K CHF 16.7K

-24.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$215 CHF 169

-51.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$142 CHF 112

-70.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$225 CHF 177

-58.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$436 CHF 343

-72.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$2,217 CHF 1,748

-26.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$1,703 CHF 1,343

-26.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$3,471 CHF 2,737

-12.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$2,633 CHF 2,076

-23.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$24.2K CHF 19.1K

-67.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$17.9K CHF 14.1K

-76.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$6,668 CHF 5,257

-75.95%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Winterthur: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $2,217 in Winterthur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Winterthur pays 316% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $128 in Winterthur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $678 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 87% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $4,133 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Winterthur earns 316% less. 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 $2,217 in Winterthur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $2,685 in Winterthur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 152% 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 87% less than in Winterthur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.