Cost of Living Comparison Between Olten and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Olten and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,973 in Olten versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,526 in Olten versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,078 in Olten versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Olten is roughly 30% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Olten 123% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.25 CHF 25.31

$16.19 €14.18

93.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 CHF 83.2

$63.3 €55.5

62.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.04 CHF 13.81

$10.32 €9.04

65.12%

Cappuccino

$5.51 CHF 4.46

$2.83 €2.48

94.70%

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

$5.20 CHF 4.21

$2.29 €2.01

127.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 CHF 3.65

$1.58 €1.38

185.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.27 CHF 5.89

$3.40 €2.98

113.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 CHF 5.07

$4.03 €3.53

55.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 CHF 1.67

$1.09 €0.96

89.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 CHF 2.77

$1.75 €1.53

95.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 CHF 3.30

$1.76 €1.54

131.82%

Eggs

$7.52 CHF 6.09

$3.17 €2.77

137.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.94 CHF 17.77

$13.19 €11.56

66.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.36 CHF 20.54

$7.97 €6.98

218.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.38 CHF 32.70

$15.53 €13.60

160.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 CHF 3.42

$2.37 €2.07

78.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.04

$1.71 €1.49

47.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 CHF 2.46

$2.01 €1.76

51.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 CHF 4.08

$2.43 €2.13

107.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CHF 2.21

$1.76 €1.54

55.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.86

$2.03 €1.78

13.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CHF 2.07

$1.92 €1.68

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$0.85 €0.74

75.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.01 CHF 8.92

$6.58 €5.76

67.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.29 CHF 10.76

$5.58 €4.89

138.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 CHF 1.67

$1.33 €1.17

55.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CHF 1.97

$2.97 €2.60

-18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.86 CHF 3.13

$2.28 €1.99

69.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.2 CHF 79.6

$45.79 €40.10

114.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 CHF 6.27

$4.23 €3.70

82.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.21 CHF 3.41

$0.81 €0.71

419.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.7 CHF 50.8

$18.44 €16.15

239.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$2.08 €1.82

7.69%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.2K

$34.7K €30.4K

14.58%

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

$40.0K CHF 32.4K

$39.2K €34.3K

2.06%

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

$254 CHF 206

$148 €130

71.75%

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

$33.62 CHF 27.24

$20.46 €17.92

64.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 CHF 47.04

$39.56 €34.64

46.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.4 CHF 50.5

$47.99 €42.03

29.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.77 CHF 15.21

$18.60 €16.29

0.91%

Cinema Ticket

$25.09 CHF 20.32

$9.22 €8.08

172.13%

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

$3,456 CHF 2,799

$616 €540

460.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.7K CHF 32.1K

$16.4K €14.4K

141.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 113

$103 €90.0

35.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 CHF 49.15

$41.74 €36.55

45.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 CHF 118

$94.8 €83.0

54.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 160

$122 €107

62.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 CHF 1,017

$1,633 €1,430

-23.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 CHF 849

$1,232 €1,079

-14.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 CHF 1,585

$3,098 €2,713

-36.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 CHF 1,374

$2,031 €1,779

-16.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

$7,831 €6,858

86.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 10.1K

$4,389 €3,844

183.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,205 CHF 3,406

$1,607 €1,408

161.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

3.81

-45.14%

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

Last update for Olten: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,256 in Olten and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Olten pays 162% 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: $103 in Olten vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $571 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

Olten vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Olten and Lisbon differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($2,973 vs $2,291 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 162% higher in Olten, 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: $1,256 in Olten versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,456 in Olten versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 114% higher in Olten. 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, Olten 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 30% less than in Olten. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.