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: $5,583 in Zug versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $8,037 in Zug versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $10.5K in Zug versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Zug is roughly 146% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zug 305% above, Lisbon 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$35.57 CHF 28.78

$17.55 €15.09

102.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$174 CHF 141

$64.5 €55.5

170.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$25.16 CHF 20.36

$11.65 €10.01

115.97%

Cappuccino

$7.27 CHF 5.88

$3.26 €2.80

123.01%

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

$6.28 CHF 5.08

$2.49 €2.14

152.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.32 CHF 5.11

$1.67 €1.44

278.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.76 CHF 7.90

$3.47 €2.99

181.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 CHF 6.17

$3.58 €3.07

113.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$1.18 €1.02

86.44%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 CHF 3.26

$1.95 €1.67

106.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 CHF 3.42

$1.56 €1.34

171.15%

Eggs

$7.94 CHF 6.43

$4.01 €3.45

98.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.78 CHF 22.48

$13.27 €11.41

109.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$31.47 CHF 25.46

$8.42 €7.24

273.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.93 CHF 34.74

$18.23 €15.68

135.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 CHF 2.98

$2.32 €2.00

59.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.67

$1.73 €1.49

19.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 CHF 2.32

$1.93 €1.66

48.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.66 CHF 4.58

$2.64 €2.27

114.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 CHF 1.62

$1.90 €1.63

5.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 CHF 1.82

$2.11 €1.82

6.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 CHF 1.98

$1.44 €1.24

70.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 CHF 1.10

$0.80 €0.69

70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 CHF 8.85

$7.01 €6.03

56.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.76 CHF 15.18

$5.92 €5.09

216.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 CHF 2.37

$1.36 €1.17

115.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 CHF 3.20

$2.15 €1.85

83.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.58 CHF 4.52

$2.38 €2.05

134.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$165 CHF 134

$46.22 €39.74

257.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.33 CHF 7.55

$4.19 €3.60

122.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$6.29 CHF 5.09

$1.10 €0.94

471.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.84

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 CHF 1.89

$2.25 €1.93

4.00%

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

$42.8K CHF 34.7K

$34.5K €29.6K

24.31%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.3K

$41.6K €35.8K

-4.19%

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

$231 CHF 187

$171 €147

35.18%

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

$41.07 CHF 33.23

$19.01 €16.34

116.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.6 CHF 52.3

$34.28 €29.48

88.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 CHF 99.2

$49.65 €42.69

146.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.97 CHF 26.67

$19.51 €16.77

68.99%

Cinema Ticket

$24.20 CHF 19.58

$10.10 €8.68

139.60%

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

$4,324 CHF 3,499

$699 €601

518.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.5K CHF 29.5K

$17.8K €15.3K

105.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$166 CHF 134

$105 €89.9

58.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.0 CHF 57.4

$47.97 €41.24

47.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$195 CHF 158

$102 €87.6

91.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$280 CHF 226

$128 €110

118.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,893 CHF 3,150

$1,661 €1,428

134.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,200 CHF 2,590

$1,228 €1,056

160.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,158 CHF 5,792

$2,915 €2,506

145.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,165 CHF 4,179

$2,023 €1,740

155.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$31.8K CHF 25.8K

$8,129 €6,989

291.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$21.5K CHF 17.4K

$4,635 €3,985

363.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,354 CHF 5,950

$1,619 €1,392

354.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.9

3.78

-49.74%

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

Last update for Zug: September 7, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,893 in Zug and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zug pays 354% 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: $174 in Zug vs $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $648 vs $281 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 146% in total monthly costs ($5,583 vs $2,268 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 354% 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: $3,893 in Zug versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $4,324 in Zug versus $699 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 130% 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 146% less than in Zug. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.