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: $3,197 in Lugano versus $2,280 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,297 in Lugano versus $3,294 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,397 in Lugano versus $4,307 in Lisbon.

Living in Lugano is roughly 40% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lugano 140% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.24 CHF 24.60

$15.75 €13.74

92.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$185 CHF 150

$63.5 €55.3

190.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.30 CHF 14.88

$10.45 €9.11

75.12%

Cappuccino

$4.35 CHF 3.54

$2.91 €2.54

49.48%

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

$4.73 CHF 3.85

$2.29 €2.00

106.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 CHF 3.32

$1.50 €1.31

172.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.24 CHF 5.89

$3.56 €3.11

103.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 CHF 5.94

$3.96 €3.46

84.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.83

$1.08 €0.94

108.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 CHF 2.90

$1.76 €1.54

102.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.89 CHF 3.98

$1.70 €1.48

187.65%

Eggs

$7.03 CHF 5.72

$3.25 €2.83

116.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.52 CHF 22.39

$13.25 €11.55

107.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.70 CHF 29.85

$7.70 €6.72

376.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$47.85 CHF 38.92

$15.77 €13.75

203.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 CHF 2.54

$2.28 €1.99

36.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 CHF 1.57

$1.66 €1.44

16.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 CHF 2.04

$2.02 €1.76

24.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.63 CHF 6.21

$2.47 €2.16

208.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 CHF 1.80

$1.79 €1.56

24.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 CHF 1.81

$2.07 €1.80

7.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CHF 2.12

$1.97 €1.72

32.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CHF 1.05

$0.83 €0.73

55.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.83 CHF 8.81

$6.55 €5.71

65.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 CHF 10.31

$5.57 €4.85

127.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 CHF 2.11

$1.33 €1.16

94.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 CHF 3.26

$3.01 €2.62

33.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.23 CHF 2.63

$2.27 €1.98

42.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.1 CHF 71.6

$46.35 €40.41

90.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.60 CHF 5.37

$4.23 €3.69

56.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.33 CHF 3.52

$0.85 €0.74

409.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 CHF 50.2

$18.83 €16.41

227.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.83

$2.02 €1.76

11.39%

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

$41.2K CHF 33.5K

$35.0K €30.5K

17.89%

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

$37.6K CHF 30.5K

$39.6K €34.6K

-5.27%

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

$201 CHF 164

$148 €129

36.19%

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

$72.8 CHF 59.2

$20.52 €17.89

254.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.1 CHF 44.79

$39.52 €34.46

39.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$107 CHF 87.2

$48.17 €42.00

122.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.0 CHF 49.65

$18.39 €16.03

231.92%

Cinema Ticket

$18.76 CHF 15.26

$9.10 €7.93

106.15%

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

$1,252 CHF 1,018

$615 €536

103.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 28.1K

$16.3K €14.2K

112.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 CHF 102

$102 €88.6

23.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.29 CHF 38.47

$42.09 €36.69

12.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 CHF 108

$92.3 €80.5

43.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 CHF 124

$122 €106

24.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,657 CHF 1,348

$1,612 €1,405

2.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 CHF 1,000

$1,254 €1,093

-1.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,870 CHF 2,335

$3,069 €2,676

-6.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,609 CHF 2,123

$2,037 €1,776

28.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.0K CHF 14.7K

$7,751 €6,757

132.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K CHF 9,191

$4,286 €3,737

163.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,830 CHF 5,555

$1,602 €1,396

326.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

3.81

-34.38%

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

Last update for Lugano: July 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,657 in Lugano and $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lugano pays 326% 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: $185 in Lugano vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $674 vs $267 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 40% in total monthly costs ($3,197 vs $2,280 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 326% 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: $1,657 in Lugano versus $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,252 in Lugano versus $615 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 153% 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 40% less than in Lugano. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.