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: $3,525 in Montreux versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,306 in Montreux versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,088 in Montreux versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Montreux is roughly 54% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreux 158% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.18 CHF 25.74

$17.59 €15.33

77.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$135 CHF 112

$62.9 €54.8

115.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.32 CHF 15.12

$11.58 €10.10

58.20%

Cappuccino

$6.24 CHF 5.15

$3.10 €2.70

101.29%

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

$5.22 CHF 4.31

$2.49 €2.17

109.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 CHF 3.54

$1.74 €1.52

145.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 8.33

$3.48 €3.03

189.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 CHF 8.14

$3.44 €3.00

186.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$1.15 €1.00

96.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 CHF 2.97

$1.91 €1.66

88.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 CHF 2.69

$1.50 €1.31

116.67%

Eggs

$7.14 CHF 5.89

$3.98 €3.47

79.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.65 CHF 21.17

$13.29 €11.59

93.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.97 CHF 23.09

$8.01 €6.98

249.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.15 CHF 33.14

$18.04 €15.73

122.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 CHF 3.08

$2.35 €2.05

58.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 CHF 1.41

$1.75 €1.53

-2.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 CHF 2.06

$1.85 €1.62

35.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.51 CHF 3.72

$2.55 €2.22

76.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 CHF 1.57

$1.84 €1.61

3.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.71

$2.10 €1.83

-1.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 CHF 1.73

$1.49 €1.30

40.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 CHF 1.46

$0.82 €0.71

115.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CHF 9.31

$7.10 €6.19

58.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.30 CHF 10.15

$5.91 €5.15

108.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 CHF 2.25

$1.31 €1.15

108.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 CHF 2.77

$2.13 €1.86

57.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.46 CHF 3.68

$2.36 €2.05

88.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 CHF 82.9

$46.62 €40.63

115.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.86 CHF 6.48

$4.08 €3.55

92.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.84 CHF 3.17

$1.14 €0.99

236.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.4 CHF 53.2

$17.09 €14.90

277.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 CHF 1.95

$2.31 €2.01

2.60%

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

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

$34.1K €29.7K

15.86%

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

$40.9K CHF 33.7K

$41.4K €36.1K

-1.18%

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

$294 CHF 242

$169 €147

74.15%

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

$37.71 CHF 31.13

$19.33 €16.85

95.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 CHF 42.60

$33.51 €29.21

54.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.9 CHF 75.0

$48.84 €42.57

86.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.17 CHF 38.11

$19.43 €16.94

137.62%

Cinema Ticket

$24.22 CHF 19.99

$9.57 €8.34

153.08%

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

$2,433 CHF 2,008

$696 €607

249.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.4K CHF 30.0K

$17.4K €15.1K

109.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 CHF 116

$105 €91.8

33.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.1 CHF 66.1

$47.75 €41.62

67.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 CHF 137

$101 €87.6

65.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$192 CHF 158

$124 €108

54.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,771 CHF 1,462

$1,662 €1,449

6.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 CHF 1,222

$1,246 €1,086

18.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,938 CHF 2,425

$2,965 €2,584

-0.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,555 CHF 2,109

$2,049 €1,786

24.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.3K

$7,834 €6,829

106.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.3K CHF 10.2K

$4,464 €3,892

176.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,061 CHF 6,653

$1,632 €1,422

394.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

3.78

-48.41%

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

Last update for Montreux: September 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,771 in Montreux and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreux pays 394% 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: $135 in Montreux vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $583 vs $277 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 54% in total monthly costs ($3,525 vs $2,296 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 394% 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: $1,771 in Montreux versus $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,433 in Montreux versus $696 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 111% 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 54% less than in Montreux. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.