Cost of Living Comparison Between Uster and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Uster and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,715 in Uster versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,466 in Uster versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,216 in Uster versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Uster is roughly 60% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Uster 170% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.82 CHF 25.06

$17.30 €14.93

78.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 101

$63.3 €54.6

97.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.34 CHF 14.91

$11.39 €9.83

61.02%

Cappuccino

$6.30 CHF 5.12

$3.19 €2.75

97.49%

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

$5.60 CHF 4.55

$2.45 €2.11

128.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 CHF 3.95

$1.76 €1.52

176.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.75 CHF 7.11

$3.59 €3.10

143.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 CHF 5.58

$3.39 €2.93

102.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.82

$1.24 €1.07

79.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 CHF 2.76

$1.98 €1.71

71.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.50 CHF 3.66

$1.52 €1.31

196.05%

Eggs

$7.71 CHF 6.27

$4.04 €3.49

90.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$33.08 CHF 26.89

$13.54 €11.68

144.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.96 CHF 24.36

$8.39 €7.24

257.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.94 CHF 35.72

$18.25 €15.75

140.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 CHF 3.03

$2.29 €1.98

62.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 CHF 1.73

$1.74 €1.50

22.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 CHF 2.38

$1.86 €1.60

56.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 CHF 3.84

$2.63 €2.27

79.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 CHF 1.65

$1.92 €1.65

5.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 CHF 1.88

$2.09 €1.81

11.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 CHF 1.95

$1.44 €1.24

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CHF 1.13

$0.84 €0.73

65.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.02 CHF 8.96

$6.78 €5.85

62.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.64 CHF 11.09

$5.71 €4.93

138.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 CHF 2.62

$1.38 €1.19

133.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 CHF 2.30

$2.22 €1.91

27.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.50 CHF 3.66

$2.40 €2.07

87.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 CHF 82.0

$46.78 €40.37

115.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 CHF 4.66

$4.17 €3.60

37.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.54 CHF 2.88

$1.14 €0.98

210.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.3 CHF 51.5

$17.68 €15.26

257.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.88

$2.32 €2.01

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

$43.2K CHF 35.1K

$35.3K €30.5K

22.13%

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

$40.4K CHF 32.9K

$41.4K €35.8K

-2.48%

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

$207 CHF 168

$170 €147

21.43%

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

$33.27 CHF 27.05

$19.34 €16.69

72.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.4 CHF 53.9

$33.64 €29.03

97.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.2 CHF 62.0

$48.10 €41.50

58.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.53 CHF 37.83

$19.90 €17.17

133.82%

Cinema Ticket

$22.02 CHF 17.90

$9.92 €8.56

121.98%

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

$1,851 CHF 1,505

$717 €619

158.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.5K

$17.5K €15.1K

93.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$171 CHF 139

$105 €90.4

63.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.5 CHF 72.8

$46.95 €40.51

90.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$154 CHF 125

$103 €89.2

48.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$181 CHF 147

$124 €107

45.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CHF 1,491

$1,677 €1,447

9.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 CHF 1,488

$1,271 €1,097

43.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,057 CHF 2,485

$2,985 €2,575

2.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 CHF 2,017

$1,992 €1,719

24.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.7K CHF 13.6K

$7,826 €6,753

113.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.6K CHF 10.2K

$4,658 €4,019

169.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,920 CHF 5,626

$1,583 €1,366

337.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

3.79

-54.62%

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

Last update for Uster: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,834 in Uster and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Uster pays 337% 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: $125 in Uster vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $639 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

Uster vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Uster and Lisbon differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($3,715 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 337% higher in Uster, 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: $1,834 in Uster versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,851 in Uster 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 126% higher in Uster. 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, Uster 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 60% less than in Uster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.