Cost of Living Comparison Between Zug and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Zug and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,472 in Zug versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,190 in Zug versus $3,289 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,908 in Zug versus $4,369 in Lisbon.

Living in Zug is roughly 102% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zug 235% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.43 CHF 25.59

$15.71 €13.76

100.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$164 CHF 133

$62.9 €55.1

160.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.87 CHF 15.37

$10.53 €9.23

79.20%

Cappuccino

$6.97 CHF 5.67

$2.88 €2.53

142.01%

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

$5.93 CHF 4.82

$2.25 €1.97

163.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 CHF 4.49

$1.56 €1.36

253.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.61 CHF 8.64

$3.39 €2.97

212.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.50 CHF 6.10

$3.90 €3.41

92.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

$1.08 €0.95

108.33%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 CHF 3.30

$1.73 €1.51

134.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.29 CHF 4.31

$1.76 €1.54

200.57%

Eggs

$7.89 CHF 6.42

$3.16 €2.77

149.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.68 CHF 23.35

$13.29 €11.64

115.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.75 CHF 29.11

$7.87 €6.89

354.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.93 CHF 36.58

$15.84 €13.88

183.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 CHF 3.02

$2.40 €2.11

54.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.71

$1.70 €1.49

23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 CHF 2.26

$2.03 €1.78

36.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.36 CHF 6.00

$2.52 €2.21

192.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.88

$1.86 €1.63

23.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.05

$2.06 €1.81

22.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CHF 2.09

$2.00 €1.75

28.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 CHF 1.36

$0.78 €0.68

114.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 CHF 8.50

$6.65 €5.82

56.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.15 CHF 14.78

$5.78 €5.06

214.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.15 CHF 3.38

$1.38 €1.21

200.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 CHF 3.44

$3.02 €2.64

40.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.96 CHF 4.04

$2.33 €2.04

112.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.9 CHF 80.5

$45.45 €39.82

117.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.65 CHF 7.04

$4.08 €3.57

112.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.60 CHF 4.56

$0.80 €0.70

600.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.0 CHF 70.8

$18.65 €16.34

366.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.78

$2.00 €1.75

9.50%

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

$40.0K CHF 32.5K

$35.4K €31.0K

12.90%

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

$42.4K CHF 34.5K

$39.1K €34.2K

8.53%

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

$289 CHF 236

$150 €132

92.69%

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

$68.3 CHF 55.6

$20.55 €18.01

232.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 CHF 47.31

$39.45 €34.56

47.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$136 CHF 111

$48.06 €42.11

183.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.65 CHF 26.59

$18.70 €16.38

74.60%

Cinema Ticket

$23.59 CHF 19.20

$9.30 €8.15

153.66%

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

$4,036 CHF 3,286

$628 €550

542.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K CHF 33.0K

$16.5K €14.4K

146.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CHF 86.8

$102 €89.0

5.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 CHF 44.16

$41.55 €36.40

30.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$154 CHF 126

$92.5 €81.0

67.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 CHF 151

$123 €107

51.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,771 CHF 2,256

$1,628 €1,426

70.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,212 CHF 1,801

$1,233 €1,080

79.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,701 CHF 5,456

$3,126 €2,739

114.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,892 CHF 3,983

$2,058 €1,803

137.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$31.2K CHF 25.4K

$7,762 €6,801

302.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$21.5K CHF 17.5K

$4,386 €3,843

390.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,558 CHF 6,154

$1,621 €1,420

366.21%

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 Zug: July 20, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,771 in Zug and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zug pays 366% 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: $164 in Zug vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $702 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

Zug vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zug and Lisbon differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($4,472 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 366% higher in Zug, 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: $2,771 in Zug versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $4,036 in Zug versus $628 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 161% higher in Zug. 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, Zug 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 102% less than in Zug. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.