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: $3,727 in St. Gallen versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,400 in St. Gallen versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,074 in St. Gallen versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in St. Gallen is roughly 61% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Gallen 171% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.15 CHF 24.52

$17.30 €14.93

74.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 121

$63.3 €54.6

134.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.71 CHF 15.21

$11.39 €9.83

64.27%

Cappuccino

$6.16 CHF 5.01

$3.19 €2.75

93.10%

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

$6.01 CHF 4.89

$2.45 €2.11

145.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 CHF 4.37

$1.76 €1.52

205.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.06 CHF 7.37

$3.59 €3.10

152.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.38 CHF 5.19

$3.39 €2.93

88.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.79

$1.24 €1.07

77.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 CHF 2.56

$1.98 €1.71

59.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.80 CHF 3.09

$1.52 €1.31

150.00%

Eggs

$7.79 CHF 6.33

$4.04 €3.49

92.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.42 CHF 20.67

$13.54 €11.68

87.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.72 CHF 23.35

$8.39 €7.24

242.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.92 CHF 33.27

$18.25 €15.75

124.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.58

$2.29 €1.98

38.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 CHF 1.27

$1.74 €1.50

-9.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 1.98

$1.86 €1.60

30.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.12 CHF 4.98

$2.63 €2.27

132.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 CHF 1.44

$1.92 €1.65

-7.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CHF 1.78

$2.09 €1.81

4.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 CHF 1.86

$1.44 €1.24

59.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CHF 0.98

$0.84 €0.73

44.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.15 CHF 9.06

$6.78 €5.85

64.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 CHF 9.38

$5.71 €4.93

101.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 CHF 1.82

$1.38 €1.19

62.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.97

$2.22 €1.91

9.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.26 CHF 3.46

$2.40 €2.07

77.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$132 CHF 107

$46.78 €40.37

181.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.66 CHF 5.41

$4.17 €3.60

59.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.84 CHF 3.94

$1.14 €0.98

324.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$82.0 CHF 66.6

$17.68 €15.26

363.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.88

$2.32 €2.01

-0.43%

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

$36.3K CHF 29.5K

$35.3K €30.5K

2.81%

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

$40.7K CHF 33.1K

$41.4K €35.8K

-1.79%

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

$322 CHF 262

$170 €147

89.26%

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

$39.10 CHF 31.78

$19.34 €16.69

102.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 CHF 44.73

$33.64 €29.03

63.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.1 CHF 66.8

$48.10 €41.50

70.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$98.8 CHF 80.4

$19.90 €17.17

396.68%

Cinema Ticket

$31.40 CHF 25.53

$9.92 €8.56

216.53%

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

$2,390 CHF 1,943

$717 €619

233.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K CHF 26.5K

$17.5K €15.1K

86.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$150 CHF 122

$105 €90.4

43.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.8 CHF 52.7

$46.95 €40.51

38.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 119

$103 €89.2

41.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$182 CHF 148

$124 €107

46.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,797 CHF 1,461

$1,677 €1,447

7.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 CHF 1,405

$1,271 €1,097

35.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,898 CHF 2,356

$2,985 €2,575

-2.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,236 CHF 1,818

$1,992 €1,719

12.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 10.1K

$7,826 €6,753

59.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,216 CHF 7,492

$4,658 €4,019

97.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,049 CHF 5,731

$1,583 €1,366

345.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

3.79

-44.59%

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

Last update for St. Gallen: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,797 in St. Gallen and $1,677 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: $148 in St. Gallen vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $581 vs $283 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 61% in total monthly costs ($3,727 vs $2,316 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 345% 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: $1,797 in St. Gallen versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,390 in St. Gallen versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 105% 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 61% less than in St. Gallen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.