Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Yens

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $3,568 in Yens, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Yens, Switzerland
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,206
/mo nomad
Yens
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,568
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Yens

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Yens actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $3,568 in Yens.

  • Lisbon $2,206
  • Yens $3,568

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $5,328 in Yens.

  • Lisbon $3,276
  • Yens $5,328

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $7,088 in Yens.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Yens $7,088

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 38% less than in Yens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, Yens 164% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Yens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86 €15.00
$29.48 CHF 24.07
-42.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.0 €54.3
$116 CHF 94.4
-47.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.98 €9.77
$16.12 CHF 13.16
-31.89%
Cappuccino
$3.05 €2.71
$6.35 CHF 5.19
-51.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.03
$5.07 CHF 4.14
-55.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 €1.50
$4.04 CHF 3.30
-58.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.44 €3.06
$9.34 CHF 7.63
-63.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91 €3.48
$7.91 CHF 6.46
-50.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Yens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 €1.02
$2.26 CHF 1.85
-49.12%
White Bread (500g)
$1.89 €1.68
$3.06 CHF 2.50
-38.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 €1.34
$3.32 CHF 2.71
-54.82%
Eggs
$4.12 €3.66
$7.55 CHF 6.17
-45.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.01 €11.57
$24.49 CHF 19.99
-46.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.04 €7.16
$27.77 CHF 22.67
-71.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.89 €15.92
$40.09 CHF 32.73
-55.38%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$3.63 CHF 2.97
-37.47%
Banana (1kg)
$1.74 €1.55
$2.00 CHF 1.63
-13.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$2.52 CHF 2.06
-27.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.69 €2.39
$4.74 CHF 3.87
-43.25%
Potato (1kg)
$1.77 €1.57
$1.66 CHF 1.35
6.63%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 €1.72
$1.97 CHF 1.61
-1.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.30
$2.08 CHF 1.70
-29.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 €0.68
$1.37 CHF 1.12
-44.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66 €5.92
$11.04 CHF 9.01
-39.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.02
$12.38 CHF 10.10
-54.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 €1.15
$2.23 CHF 1.82
-42.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.90
$3.05 CHF 2.49
-29.84%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Yens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.30 €2.05
$3.99 CHF 3.26
-42.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.02 €39.17
$107 CHF 87.7
-59.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.98 €3.54
$7.99 CHF 6.52
-50.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 €0.57
$4.69 CHF 3.83
-86.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.93 €16.84
$85.7 CHF 70.0
-77.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$2.34 CHF 1.91
-2.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K €29.7K
$39.0K CHF 31.9K
-14.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K €34.3K
$39.9K CHF 32.6K
-3.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Yens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 €141
$280 CHF 229
-43.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.54 €15.61
$28.64 CHF 23.38
-38.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.18 €27.75
$53.4 CHF 43.61
-41.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Yens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.64 €39.73
$76.2 CHF 62.2
-41.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.98 €16.89
$47.19 CHF 38.52
-59.78%
Cinema Ticket
$9.58 €8.52
$24.30 CHF 19.84
-60.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Yens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$674 €599
$2,957 CHF 2,414
-77.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.7K €16.7K
$35.6K CHF 29.1K
-47.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Yens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €90.9
$143 CHF 117
-28.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.90 €40.85
$61.4 CHF 50.1
-25.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 €91.0
$141 CHF 115
-27.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 €109
$195 CHF 159
-37.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Yens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,641 €1,460
$1,735 CHF 1,416
-5.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,187 €1,057
$1,655 CHF 1,351
-28.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,825 €2,514
$2,868 CHF 2,342
-1.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,018 €1,796
$2,682 CHF 2,189
-24.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,836 €6,973
$16.6K CHF 13.6K
-52.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,701 €4,183
$11.5K CHF 9,368
-59.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Yens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,687 €1,501
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.82
1.95
95.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Yens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Yens
$1.7K 39.4% $467
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$275
Yens
$569 107% $294
Eating Out
Lisbon
$245
Yens
$459 87.3% $214
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$207
Yens
$362 75% $155
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Yens
$243 45.3% $76
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Yens
$125 95.5% $61
Getting Around
Lisbon
$60
Yens
$155 156% $94

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $1,735 in Yens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $116 in Yens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $569 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇨🇭 Yens
🕒 Local time
09:32 9:32 AM
10:32 10:32 AM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
2,200
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.816 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.917 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Yens 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Yens

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Yens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Yens?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $3,568 in Yens, so Lisbon is about 38% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Yens?
You’d need roughly $3,309 in Lisbon and $5,352 in Yens to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Yens?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $1,735 in Yens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Yens?
Childcare runs $674 in Lisbon versus $2,957 in Yens. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 107% higher in Yens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,206 in Lisbon versus $3,568 in Yens, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Yens. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Yens?
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.
Is Lisbon or Yens safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Yens are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Yens?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Yens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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