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: $3,569 in St. Gallen versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,433 in St. Gallen versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,296 in St. Gallen versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in St. Gallen is roughly 62% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Gallen 166% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.20 CHF 23.81

$15.91 €13.69

89.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 117

$64.8 €55.7

129.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.33 CHF 14.45

$10.51 €9.04

74.41%

Cappuccino

$6.23 CHF 4.91

$2.87 €2.47

117.07%

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

$5.87 CHF 4.63

$2.24 €1.93

162.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 CHF 4.24

$1.50 €1.29

258.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 CHF 5.81

$3.49 €3.00

110.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 CHF 5.64

$3.88 €3.34

84.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.76

$1.14 €0.98

95.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CHF 2.11

$1.75 €1.51

53.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 CHF 2.82

$1.76 €1.51

103.41%

Eggs

$8.15 CHF 6.42

$3.22 €2.77

153.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.21 CHF 21.45

$13.49 €11.61

101.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.59 CHF 25.69

$7.91 €6.81

312.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.95 CHF 32.29

$15.87 €13.65

158.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 CHF 2.47

$2.31 €1.99

35.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 CHF 1.46

$1.70 €1.46

8.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 CHF 2.03

$2.01 €1.73

28.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.26 CHF 5.72

$2.46 €2.12

195.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 CHF 2.02

$1.84 €1.59

39.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.85

$2.00 €1.72

17.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CHF 1.84

$1.93 €1.66

21.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CHF 0.87

$0.79 €0.68

40.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.04 CHF 8.71

$6.61 €5.68

67.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.81 CHF 9.31

$5.72 €4.92

106.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 CHF 1.70

$1.37 €1.17

57.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 CHF 1.82

$2.97 €2.56

-22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.32 CHF 3.41

$2.37 €2.04

82.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.6 CHF 63.5

$45.56 €39.19

76.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.86 CHF 5.41

$4.29 €3.69

59.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.20 CHF 3.31

$0.82 €0.70

412.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.0 CHF 62.3

$18.30 €15.74

331.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 CHF 1.66

$2.06 €1.78

1.94%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.5K

$34.3K €29.5K

16.48%

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

$41.5K CHF 32.7K

$39.3K €33.8K

5.50%

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

$332 CHF 262

$148 €127

124.39%

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

$59.3 CHF 46.73

$20.52 €17.65

188.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 CHF 41.63

$39.61 €34.08

33.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.2 CHF 64.1

$47.85 €41.16

69.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$99.3 CHF 78.3

$18.92 €16.28

425.05%

Cinema Ticket

$30.30 CHF 23.89

$9.18 €7.90

230.07%

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

$2,792 CHF 2,202

$614 €528

354.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.9K CHF 27.5K

$16.0K €13.8K

117.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$148 CHF 117

$105 €90.0

41.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.8 CHF 51.1

$42.06 €36.18

53.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$156 CHF 123

$94.0 €80.8

66.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$238 CHF 187

$120 €103

98.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 CHF 1,431

$1,628 €1,400

11.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 CHF 1,203

$1,255 €1,080

21.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 CHF 2,154

$3,030 €2,607

-9.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,369 CHF 1,868

$2,020 €1,738

17.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K CHF 8,511

$7,800 €6,709

38.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,655 CHF 6,823

$4,273 €3,675

102.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,138 CHF 5,628

$1,603 €1,379

345.16%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,814 in St. Gallen and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays 345% 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: $149 in St. Gallen vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $611 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

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

St. Gallen and Lisbon differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($3,569 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

St. Gallen pays 345% 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: $1,814 in St. Gallen versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,792 in St. Gallen versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 127% 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 62% less than in St. Gallen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.