Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sion and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $3,235 in Sion, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Sion
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,235
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sion and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sion and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,235 in Sion versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Sion $3,235
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,857 in Sion versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Sion $4,857
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,479 in Sion versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Sion $6,479
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Sion is roughly 46% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sion 140% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sion
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$28.97 CHF 23.86
$16.50 €14.67
75.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.6 CHF 73.8
$61.3 €54.5
46.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$19.15 CHF 15.77
$11.27 €10.03
69.92%
Cappuccino
$4.60 CHF 3.79
$3.06 €2.72
50.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.09 CHF 4.19
$2.26 €2.01
125.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.28 CHF 3.52
$1.73 €1.54
147.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.36 CHF 6.06
$3.39 €3.02
117.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.29 CHF 6.00
$3.40 €3.02
114.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sion
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.94 CHF 1.60
$1.12 €1.00
73.21%
White Bread (500g)
$3.54 CHF 2.92
$1.86 €1.65
90.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.19 CHF 3.45
$1.53 €1.36
173.86%
Eggs
$7.13 CHF 5.87
$3.96 €3.53
80.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$26.01 CHF 21.42
$12.76 €11.35
103.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$22.69 CHF 18.69
$7.90 €7.02
187.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$40.09 CHF 33.02
$16.97 €15.09
136.24%
Apples (1kg)
$3.15 CHF 2.59
$2.27 €2.02
38.77%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 CHF 1.40
$1.75 €1.55
-2.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.53 CHF 2.09
$1.85 €1.64
36.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.20 CHF 5.11
$2.57 €2.28
141.25%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 CHF 1.53
$1.86 €1.65
-0.54%
Onion (1kg)
$2.16 CHF 1.78
$2.02 €1.80
6.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 CHF 2.00
$1.44 €1.28
68.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 CHF 0.97
$0.82 €0.73
42.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.85 CHF 8.94
$6.56 €5.83
65.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.25 CHF 11.74
$5.62 €5.00
153.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 CHF 1.45
$1.28 €1.14
37.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.91 CHF 1.57
$2.07 €1.84
-7.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Sion
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.24 CHF 4.32
$2.35 €2.09
122.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$179 CHF 148
$44.18 €39.30
306.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.94 CHF 4.89
$3.99 €3.55
48.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$5.29 CHF 4.36
$1.09 €0.97
385.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$48.12 CHF 39.63
$16.64 €14.81
189.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.21 CHF 1.82
$2.28 €2.03
-3.07%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K CHF 28.2K
$33.7K €30.0K
1.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.6K CHF 31.0K
$39.3K €35.0K
-4.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sion
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$308 CHF 254
$167 €149
84.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.86 CHF 20.48
$18.80 €16.72
32.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.64 CHF 40.89
$33.09 €29.43
50.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sion
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$135 CHF 111
$46.01 €40.93
192.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$54.5 CHF 44.88
$19.19 €17.07
183.95%
Cinema Ticket
$20.28 CHF 16.70
$9.84 €8.75
106.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sion
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$953 CHF 785
$677 €602
40.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$37.7K CHF 31.1K
$16.9K €15.1K
122.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sion
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$109 CHF 89.7
$101 €90.1
7.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.21 CHF 39.71
$45.76 €40.70
5.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$161 CHF 133
$100.0 €88.9
61.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$165 CHF 136
$123 €109
34.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sion
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,221 CHF 1,005
$1,614 €1,436
-24.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,240 CHF 1,021
$1,197 €1,065
3.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,323 CHF 1,913
$2,862 €2,545
-18.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,072 CHF 1,707
$1,990 €1,770
4.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,339 CHF 6,045
$7,577 €6,740
-3.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,532 CHF 4,556
$4,307 €3,831
28.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sion
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,826 CHF 4,798
$1,588 €1,412
266.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.15
3.85
-44.16%

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

Last update for Sion: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sion
$1.2K
Lisbon
$1.2K 3.5% $43
Groceries & Markets
Sion
$554
Lisbon
$269 51.3% $284
Eating Out
Sion
$433
Lisbon
$242 44.1% $191
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sion
$383
Lisbon
$219 42.7% $163
Getting Around
Sion
$233
Lisbon
$63 72.9% $170
Clothing & Footwear
Sion
$217
Lisbon
$166 23.4% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Sion
$175
Lisbon
$66 62.5% $110

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,221 in Sion and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sion pays 267% 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: $90.0 in Sion vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $554 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇭 Sion
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
07:00 7:00 AM
06:00 6:00 AM
1 h behind Sion
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
34,599
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sion Lisbon 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Sion
  • Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Sion vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Sion and in Lisbon?
Sion and Lisbon differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($3,235 vs $2,223 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Sion or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 267% higher in Sion, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Sion and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,221 in Sion versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Sion and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $953 in Sion versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 106% higher in Sion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $3,235 in Sion, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Sion. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Sion and Lisbon?
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.
Is Sion or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Sion 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.
Where should expats move: Sion or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Sion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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