Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Gallen and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Gallen and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,529 in St. Gallen versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,441 in St. Gallen versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,353 in St. Gallen versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Gallen 164% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.33 CHF 24.52

$16.19 €14.17

87.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 119

$63.3 €55.4

132.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.50 CHF 14.96

$10.32 €9.03

79.26%

Cappuccino

$6.36 CHF 5.14

$2.83 €2.48

124.73%

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

$5.84 CHF 4.72

$2.29 €2.00

155.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 CHF 4.31

$1.58 €1.38

237.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.66 CHF 6.19

$3.40 €2.98

125.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 CHF 5.88

$4.03 €3.52

80.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$1.09 €0.95

101.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 CHF 2.15

$1.75 €1.53

52.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 CHF 2.85

$1.76 €1.54

100.57%

Eggs

$8.31 CHF 6.72

$3.17 €2.77

162.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.25 CHF 22.03

$13.19 €11.54

106.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.23 CHF 26.06

$7.97 €6.97

304.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.77 CHF 33.77

$15.53 €13.59

168.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 CHF 2.65

$2.37 €2.07

37.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 CHF 1.50

$1.71 €1.49

8.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 CHF 1.98

$2.01 €1.76

21.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.04 CHF 5.69

$2.43 €2.13

189.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 2.04

$1.76 €1.54

43.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 CHF 1.88

$2.03 €1.78

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 CHF 1.92

$1.92 €1.68

23.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CHF 0.90

$0.85 €0.74

30.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.80 CHF 8.73

$6.58 €5.76

64.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 CHF 9.32

$5.58 €4.88

106.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 CHF 1.77

$1.33 €1.17

64.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.93

$2.97 €2.60

-19.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.21 CHF 3.40

$2.28 €1.99

84.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.5 CHF 66.7

$45.79 €40.06

80.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 CHF 5.49

$4.23 €3.70

60.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.10 CHF 3.32

$0.81 €0.71

406.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.4 CHF 64.2

$18.44 €16.13

330.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.73

$2.08 €1.82

2.88%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.9K

$34.7K €30.3K

17.23%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

$39.2K €34.3K

4.25%

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

$324 CHF 262

$148 €130

118.64%

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

$59.4 CHF 48.00

$20.46 €17.90

190.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 CHF 42.23

$39.56 €34.61

32.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.7 CHF 66.9

$47.99 €41.99

72.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$100 CHF 80.9

$18.60 €16.27

437.90%

Cinema Ticket

$31.00 CHF 25.06

$9.22 €8.07

236.23%

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

$2,815 CHF 2,276

$616 €539

356.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.2K CHF 27.7K

$16.4K €14.4K

108.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 117

$103 €89.9

41.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.6 CHF 52.2

$41.74 €36.52

54.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 128

$94.8 €82.9

67.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 CHF 188

$122 €107

90.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 CHF 1,468

$1,633 €1,428

11.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 CHF 1,208

$1,232 €1,078

21.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,793 CHF 2,258

$3,098 €2,711

-9.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 CHF 1,867

$2,031 €1,777

13.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 10.0K

$7,831 €6,851

58.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,105 CHF 7,362

$4,389 €3,840

107.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,998 CHF 5,658

$1,607 €1,406

335.39%

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 St. Gallen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,816 in St. Gallen and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays 335% 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 St. Gallen vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $610 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

St. Gallen vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Gallen and Lisbon differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($3,529 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 335% higher in St. Gallen, 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: $1,816 in St. Gallen versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,815 in St. Gallen 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 128% higher in St. Gallen. 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, St. Gallen 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 St. Gallen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.