Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zurich Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zurich

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $4,335 in Zurich.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $6,513 in Zurich.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $8,691 in Zurich.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Zurich 226% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$30.52 CHF 24.63

-48.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$149 CHF 121

-57.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$21.06 CHF 16.99

-50.38%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$6.97 CHF 5.62

-58.25%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$6.02 CHF 4.86

-61.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$5.37 CHF 4.33

-72.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$9.83 CHF 7.93

-63.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$8.74 CHF 7.05

-54.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$2.25 CHF 1.82

-52.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.41 CHF 2.76

-48.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$4.11 CHF 3.31

-58.64%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$7.24 CHF 5.84

-55.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$29.74 CHF 24.00

-55.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$33.26 CHF 26.84

-76.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$50.6 CHF 40.80

-68.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$4.07 CHF 3.28

-43.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.81 CHF 2.27

-40.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$3.00 CHF 2.42

-32.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$5.00 CHF 4.03

-50.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$2.82 CHF 2.28

-36.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$2.38 CHF 1.92

-13.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$2.50 CHF 2.02

-21.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$1.70 CHF 1.37

-51.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$11.28 CHF 9.10

-41.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$13.55 CHF 10.93

-58.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.63 CHF 2.12

-49.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$3.35 CHF 2.70

-10.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$4.80 CHF 3.88

-52.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$106 CHF 85.6

-56.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$7.47 CHF 6.03

-43.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$4.15 CHF 3.35

-79.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$88.9 CHF 71.7

-78.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.35 CHF 1.90

-14.04%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$40.6K CHF 32.7K

-13.84%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$39.9K CHF 32.2K

-0.68%

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

$148 €128

$259 CHF 209

-42.88%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$35.73 CHF 28.83

-42.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$59.6 CHF 48.11

-33.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$88.5 CHF 71.4

-45.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$50.0 CHF 40.38

-63.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$24.58 CHF 19.84

-62.98%

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

$615 €532

$3,361 CHF 2,712

-81.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$39.3K CHF 31.7K

-58.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$138 CHF 111

-26.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$62.3 CHF 50.3

-32.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$151 CHF 122

-38.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$202 CHF 163

-39.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$2,707 CHF 2,184

-40.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$2,208 CHF 1,782

-43.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$5,004 CHF 4,038

-38.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$3,818 CHF 3,081

-46.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$27.0K CHF 21.8K

-71.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$16.2K CHF 13.1K

-73.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$8,088 CHF 6,527

-80.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

2.09

82.30%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Zurich: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $2,707 in Zurich. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zurich pays 405% 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 $149 in Zurich for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $674 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 Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zurich differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $4,335 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 405% lower in Zurich. 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $2,707 in Zurich. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $3,361 in Zurich. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 153% higher in Zurich. 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 Zurich 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 90% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.