Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zug Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zug

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $4,487 in Zug.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $7,218 in Zug.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $9,950 in Zug.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 50% less than in Zug, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 67% above, Zug 235% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$32.36 CHF 25.37

-51.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$165 CHF 130

-61.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$19.36 CHF 15.18

-46.69%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$6.99 CHF 5.48

-59.80%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$6.00 CHF 4.71

-61.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$5.44 CHF 4.27

-72.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$10.38 CHF 8.14

-67.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$7.23 CHF 5.67

-45.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$2.28 CHF 1.79

-52.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$3.87 CHF 3.04

-54.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$5.13 CHF 4.03

-65.89%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$7.91 CHF 6.20

-60.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$29.31 CHF 22.98

-54.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$36.11 CHF 28.31

-78.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$44.88 CHF 35.19

-64.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$3.82 CHF 2.99

-37.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$2.14 CHF 1.68

-19.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.79 CHF 2.18

-29.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$7.13 CHF 5.59

-64.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.33 CHF 1.82

-23.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.46 CHF 1.93

-19.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$2.57 CHF 2.01

-23.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$1.63 CHF 1.28

-48.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$10.65 CHF 8.35

-35.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$18.87 CHF 14.80

-69.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$3.98 CHF 3.12

-65.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$4.44 CHF 3.48

-34.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$4.90 CHF 3.84

-53.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$98.7 CHF 77.4

-52.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$8.82 CHF 6.91

-53.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$5.63 CHF 4.42

-85.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$88.2 CHF 69.1

-78.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$2.14 CHF 1.68

-2.34%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$41.0K CHF 32.1K

-14.32%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$42.5K CHF 33.4K

-6.64%

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

$150 €128

$290 CHF 227

-48.45%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$67.3 CHF 52.8

-69.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$59.2 CHF 46.37

-33.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$136 CHF 107

-63.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$32.73 CHF 25.66

-43.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$23.00 CHF 18.03

-60.00%

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

$624 €533

$4,037 CHF 3,165

-84.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$39.9K CHF 31.3K

-60.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$110 CHF 85.9

-6.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$53.1 CHF 41.63

-23.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$155 CHF 122

-38.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$188 CHF 147

-35.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$2,797 CHF 2,193

-40.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$2,221 CHF 1,741

-44.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$6,587 CHF 5,164

-53.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$4,857 CHF 3,808

-57.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$32.8K CHF 25.8K

-76.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$22.9K CHF 18.0K

-81.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$7,764 CHF 6,087

-79.83%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Zug: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $2,797 in Zug. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zug pays 396% 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 in Lisbon vs $165 in Zug for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $704 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 Zug: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zug differ by about 100% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $4,487 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Zug earns 396% 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $2,797 in Zug. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $4,037 in Zug. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 161% higher in Zug. 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 Zug 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 100% less than in Zug. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.