Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreux and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreux and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,973 in Montreux versus $2,280 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,762 in Montreux versus $3,294 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,551 in Montreux versus $4,307 in Lisbon.

Living in Montreux is roughly 74% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreux 198% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.14 CHF 25.13

$15.75 €13.64

97.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 120

$63.5 €55.0

134.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.82 CHF 15.18

$10.45 €9.05

80.10%

Cappuccino

$5.90 CHF 4.76

$2.91 €2.52

102.75%

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

$5.28 CHF 4.26

$2.29 €1.98

130.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 CHF 3.83

$1.50 €1.30

216.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.99 CHF 8.06

$3.56 €3.09

180.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.45 CHF 6.82

$3.96 €3.43

113.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.73

$1.08 €0.94

98.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.86 CHF 3.12

$1.76 €1.53

119.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.51 CHF 3.64

$1.70 €1.47

165.29%

Eggs

$7.09 CHF 5.72

$3.25 €2.81

118.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.35 CHF 22.87

$13.25 €11.47

113.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.10 CHF 22.68

$7.70 €6.67

264.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.38 CHF 35.01

$15.77 €13.66

175.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 CHF 3.11

$2.28 €1.97

68.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.67

$1.66 €1.43

24.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 CHF 2.27

$2.02 €1.75

39.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 CHF 5.14

$2.47 €2.14

157.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 CHF 2.57

$1.79 €1.55

77.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 1.97

$2.07 €1.79

17.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CHF 2.10

$1.97 €1.71

31.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 CHF 1.22

$0.83 €0.72

81.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.93 CHF 8.82

$6.55 €5.68

66.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.26 CHF 9.89

$5.57 €4.82

120.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 CHF 1.65

$1.33 €1.15

53.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CHF 2.50

$3.01 €2.60

2.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.02 CHF 3.24

$2.27 €1.97

77.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.9 CHF 74.9

$46.35 €40.14

100.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 CHF 6.22

$4.23 €3.66

82.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.06 CHF 3.27

$0.85 €0.73

377.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.4 CHF 54.4

$18.83 €16.31

258.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$2.02 €1.75

10.89%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.0K

$35.0K €30.3K

13.35%

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

$41.4K CHF 33.4K

$39.6K €34.3K

4.36%

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

$302 CHF 244

$148 €128

104.39%

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

$49.69 CHF 40.10

$20.52 €17.77

142.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 CHF 47.67

$39.52 €34.23

49.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.6 CHF 65.1

$48.17 €41.72

67.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.99 CHF 37.11

$18.39 €15.92

150.08%

Cinema Ticket

$23.10 CHF 18.65

$9.10 €7.88

153.85%

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

$2,610 CHF 2,106

$615 €532

324.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 27.9K

$16.3K €14.1K

112.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 CHF 88.4

$102 €88.0

7.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.8 CHF 55.5

$42.09 €36.45

63.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$176 CHF 142

$92.3 €79.9

90.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 149

$122 €106

51.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,174 CHF 1,755

$1,612 €1,396

34.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 CHF 1,608

$1,254 €1,086

58.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,322 CHF 2,681

$3,069 €2,658

8.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 CHF 2,259

$2,037 €1,764

37.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.4K CHF 11.6K

$7,751 €6,712

86.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.3K CHF 9,964

$4,286 €3,712

188.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,185 CHF 6,605

$1,602 €1,387

410.97%

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 Montreux: July 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,174 in Montreux and $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreux pays 411% 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: $149 in Montreux vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $621 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

Montreux vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreux and Lisbon differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($3,973 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 411% higher in Montreux, 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: $2,174 in Montreux versus $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,610 in Montreux 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 133% higher in Montreux. 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, Montreux 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 74% less than in Montreux. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.