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: $4,060 in Montreux versus $2,263 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,759 in Montreux versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,458 in Montreux versus $4,368 in Lisbon.

Living in Montreux is roughly 79% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreux 202% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.37 CHF 24.11

$15.94 €13.73

90.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 117

$63.4 €54.6

132.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.19 CHF 15.23

$10.38 €8.95

84.87%

Cappuccino

$5.87 CHF 4.66

$2.79 €2.40

110.39%

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

$5.36 CHF 4.25

$2.34 €2.01

129.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 CHF 3.94

$1.57 €1.35

215.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.95 CHF 7.90

$3.43 €2.95

190.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.47 CHF 6.72

$3.91 €3.37

116.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$1.08 €0.93

99.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 CHF 3.11

$1.77 €1.52

121.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.41 CHF 3.50

$1.71 €1.47

157.89%

Eggs

$7.35 CHF 5.83

$3.15 €2.71

133.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.80 CHF 22.86

$13.68 €11.79

110.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.13 CHF 22.34

$8.01 €6.90

251.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.47 CHF 34.51

$15.52 €13.37

180.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.16

$2.29 €1.98

73.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 CHF 1.73

$1.64 €1.41

32.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 CHF 2.26

$1.94 €1.67

46.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.34 CHF 5.03

$2.51 €2.17

152.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 CHF 2.47

$1.79 €1.54

74.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.91

$2.01 €1.73

19.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 1.98

$1.97 €1.69

26.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CHF 1.25

$0.84 €0.73

86.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.05 CHF 8.77

$6.79 €5.85

62.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.61 CHF 10.81

$5.67 €4.89

140.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 CHF 1.62

$1.39 €1.20

46.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 CHF 2.49

$3.02 €2.60

3.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.22 CHF 3.35

$2.27 €1.95

85.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.6 CHF 72.7

$45.44 €39.15

101.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 CHF 6.09

$4.29 €3.70

78.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.08 CHF 3.24

$0.85 €0.73

380.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.3 CHF 52.6

$18.28 €15.75

262.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.73

$1.99 €1.71

9.55%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.6K

$35.0K €30.2K

13.77%

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

$41.4K CHF 32.9K

$39.5K €34.1K

4.78%

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

$308 CHF 245

$146 €126

110.84%

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

$50.1 CHF 39.74

$20.45 €17.62

144.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 CHF 46.99

$38.98 €33.58

51.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.9 CHF 62.6

$48.98 €42.21

61.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.46 CHF 28.94

$18.83 €16.22

93.63%

Cinema Ticket

$22.70 CHF 18.02

$9.52 €8.21

138.45%

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

$2,546 CHF 2,022

$608 €524

318.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 27.0K

$16.5K €14.2K

105.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CHF 84.8

$104 €89.5

2.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.2 CHF 55.0

$42.12 €36.29

64.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 139

$92.2 €79.5

89.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 147

$120 €103

54.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,230 CHF 1,770

$1,621 €1,397

37.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,986 CHF 1,577

$1,268 €1,092

56.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,387 CHF 2,689

$3,048 €2,626

11.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,723 CHF 2,162

$2,009 €1,731

35.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.7K CHF 13.3K

$7,663 €6,602

118.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K CHF 9,340

$4,329 €3,730

171.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,482 CHF 6,734

$1,585 €1,366

435.17%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,230 in Montreux and $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreux pays 435% 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: $147 in Montreux vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $628 vs $269 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 79% in total monthly costs ($4,060 vs $2,263 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Montreux pays 435% more on average, 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: $2,230 in Montreux versus $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,546 in Montreux versus $608 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 134% higher in Montreux. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,263 in Lisbon versus $4,060 in Montreux, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Montreux. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 79% less than in Montreux. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.