Cost of Living Comparison Between Lugano and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Lugano and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,280 in Lugano versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,338 in Lugano versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,395 in Lugano versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Lugano is roughly 45% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lugano 138% above, Lisbon 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.68 CHF 28.30

$17.55 €15.12

97.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$183 CHF 149

$64.5 €55.6

183.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.25 CHF 16.53

$11.65 €10.04

73.82%

Cappuccino

$4.43 CHF 3.62

$3.26 €2.81

35.89%

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

$5.17 CHF 4.22

$2.49 €2.15

107.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 CHF 3.37

$1.67 €1.44

146.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.76 CHF 7.96

$3.47 €2.99

181.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.44 CHF 6.08

$3.58 €3.08

107.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

$1.18 €1.02

90.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 CHF 3.13

$1.95 €1.68

96.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.31 CHF 3.51

$1.56 €1.35

176.28%

Eggs

$7.27 CHF 5.93

$4.01 €3.46

81.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.33 CHF 21.49

$13.27 €11.44

98.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.47 CHF 24.05

$8.42 €7.26

250.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.29 CHF 32.88

$18.23 €15.72

121.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 CHF 2.65

$2.32 €2.00

39.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 CHF 1.42

$1.73 €1.49

0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 CHF 2.14

$1.93 €1.67

35.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.31 CHF 5.15

$2.64 €2.27

139.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 CHF 1.49

$1.90 €1.64

-4.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.76

$2.11 €1.82

2.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CHF 2.04

$1.44 €1.24

73.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 CHF 0.92

$0.80 €0.69

41.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 CHF 8.93

$7.01 €6.04

56.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.69 CHF 10.36

$5.92 €5.11

114.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 CHF 2.39

$1.36 €1.18

115.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 CHF 3.34

$2.15 €1.85

90.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.30 CHF 2.69

$2.38 €2.05

38.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.7 CHF 64.2

$46.22 €39.85

70.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 CHF 6.21

$4.19 €3.61

81.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.84 CHF 4.77

$1.10 €0.95

430.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.8 CHF 65.1

$17.26 €14.88

362.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.81

$2.25 €1.94

-1.33%

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

$35.3K CHF 28.8K

$34.5K €29.7K

2.31%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.3K

$41.6K €35.9K

-4.90%

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

$301 CHF 245

$171 €147

75.99%

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

$23.04 CHF 18.80

$19.01 €16.38

21.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.76 CHF 40.61

$34.28 €29.55

45.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.9 CHF 79.9

$49.65 €42.80

97.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.51 CHF 30.61

$19.51 €16.81

92.26%

Cinema Ticket

$20.36 CHF 16.62

$10.10 €8.71

101.58%

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

$1,228 CHF 1,002

$699 €603

75.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.2K CHF 28.7K

$17.8K €15.3K

98.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$168 CHF 137

$105 €90.2

61.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 CHF 47.00

$47.97 €41.35

20.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$199 CHF 162

$102 €87.8

95.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 CHF 126

$128 €111

19.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 CHF 1,399

$1,661 €1,432

3.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,309 CHF 1,069

$1,228 €1,059

6.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,562 CHF 2,907

$2,915 €2,513

22.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,597 CHF 2,119

$2,023 €1,744

28.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.7K CHF 14.4K

$8,129 €7,007

117.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K CHF 9,245

$4,635 €3,996

144.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,998 CHF 5,711

$1,619 €1,396

332.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.37

3.78

-37.30%

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

Last update for Lugano: September 8, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,714 in Lugano and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lugano pays 332% 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: $183 in Lugano vs $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $605 vs $281 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

Lugano vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lugano and Lisbon differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($3,280 vs $2,268 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 332% higher in Lugano, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,714 in Lugano versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,228 in Lugano versus $699 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 115% higher in Lugano. 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, Lugano and Lisbon 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 45% less than in Lugano. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.