Cost of Living Comparison Between Zermatt and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Zermatt and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,547 in Zermatt versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,318 in Zermatt versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,090 in Zermatt versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zermatt 165% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.05 CHF 24.48

$15.91 €13.69

95.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$142 CHF 112

$64.8 €55.7

119.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.38 CHF 14.49

$10.51 €9.04

74.88%

Cappuccino

$5.86 CHF 4.62

$2.87 €2.47

104.18%

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

$5.45 CHF 4.30

$2.24 €1.93

143.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 CHF 3.90

$1.50 €1.29

230.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.43 CHF 6.64

$3.49 €3.00

141.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 CHF 5.97

$3.88 €3.34

95.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.75

$1.14 €0.98

94.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 CHF 2.81

$1.75 €1.51

103.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.34

$1.76 €1.51

140.91%

Eggs

$7.48 CHF 5.89

$3.22 €2.77

132.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.09 CHF 22.94

$13.49 €11.61

115.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.97 CHF 25.99

$7.91 €6.81

316.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$48.37 CHF 38.14

$15.87 €13.65

204.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 CHF 3.00

$2.31 €1.99

64.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 CHF 1.85

$1.70 €1.46

38.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.35

$2.01 €1.73

48.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.23 CHF 4.91

$2.46 €2.12

153.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 CHF 1.94

$1.84 €1.59

33.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.82

$2.00 €1.72

15.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CHF 2.07

$1.93 €1.66

36.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 CHF 1.08

$0.79 €0.68

73.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.06 CHF 8.72

$6.61 €5.68

67.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.79 CHF 10.08

$5.72 €4.92

123.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CHF 1.92

$1.37 €1.17

78.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 CHF 2.66

$2.97 €2.56

13.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.96 CHF 3.12

$2.37 €2.04

67.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.4 CHF 78.4

$45.56 €39.19

118.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.76 CHF 6.11

$4.29 €3.69

80.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.20 CHF 3.31

$0.82 €0.70

412.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.3 CHF 62.5

$18.30 €15.74

333.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.76

$2.06 €1.78

8.25%

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

$40.1K CHF 31.6K

$34.3K €29.5K

17.02%

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

$41.6K CHF 32.8K

$39.3K €33.8K

5.79%

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

$261 CHF 206

$148 €127

76.65%

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

$49.24 CHF 38.82

$20.52 €17.65

139.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.9 CHF 45.68

$39.61 €34.08

46.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.7 CHF 69.2

$47.85 €41.16

83.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$22.35 CHF 17.62

$9.18 €7.90

143.46%

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

$2,840 CHF 2,239

$614 €528

362.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.2K CHF 27.0K

$16.0K €13.8K

113.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$140 CHF 110

$105 €90.0

33.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.1 CHF 53.7

$42.06 €36.18

61.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 CHF 119

$94.0 €80.8

60.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 CHF 147

$120 €103

55.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 CHF 1,718

$1,628 €1,400

33.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 CHF 1,174

$1,255 €1,080

18.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,816 CHF 2,220

$3,030 €2,607

-7.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,462 CHF 1,941

$2,020 €1,738

21.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K CHF 10.9K

$7,800 €6,709

77.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.1K CHF 7,995

$4,273 €3,675

137.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$10.2K CHF 8,066

$1,603 €1,379

538.03%

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 Zermatt: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,180 in Zermatt and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zermatt pays 538% 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: $142 in Zermatt vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $661 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

Zermatt vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zermatt and Lisbon differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($3,547 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Zermatt pays 538% 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: $2,180 in Zermatt versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,840 in Zermatt 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 145% higher in Zermatt. 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, Zermatt 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 Zermatt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.