Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,270 in Zurich versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,491 in Zurich versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,712 in Zurich versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Zurich is roughly 86% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 220% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.84 CHF 24.93

$16.19 €14.17

90.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 119

$63.3 €55.4

131.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.72 CHF 16.75

$10.32 €9.03

100.78%

Cappuccino

$6.94 CHF 5.61

$2.83 €2.48

145.23%

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

$6.04 CHF 4.88

$2.29 €2.00

163.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 CHF 4.24

$1.58 €1.38

231.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.83 CHF 7.95

$3.40 €2.98

189.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.52 CHF 6.88

$4.03 €3.52

111.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.76

$1.09 €0.95

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 CHF 2.63

$1.75 €1.53

85.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 CHF 3.33

$1.76 €1.54

134.09%

Eggs

$7.26 CHF 5.87

$3.17 €2.77

129.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.00 CHF 24.26

$13.19 €11.54

127.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$34.06 CHF 27.54

$7.97 €6.97

327.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.2 CHF 40.56

$15.53 €13.59

223.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 CHF 3.31

$2.37 €2.07

72.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.35

$1.71 €1.49

70.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 CHF 2.44

$2.01 €1.76

50.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 CHF 4.02

$2.43 €2.13

104.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 CHF 2.22

$1.76 €1.54

56.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.89

$2.03 €1.78

15.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 2.06

$1.92 €1.68

32.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CHF 1.39

$0.85 €0.74

102.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.29 CHF 9.13

$6.58 €5.76

71.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 CHF 10.98

$5.58 €4.88

143.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CHF 2.12

$1.33 €1.17

97.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 CHF 2.61

$2.97 €2.60

8.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.02 CHF 4.06

$2.28 €1.99

120.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 CHF 86.6

$45.79 €40.06

133.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 CHF 6.31

$4.23 €3.70

84.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.48

$0.81 €0.71

432.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.9 CHF 70.2

$18.44 €16.13

371.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$2.08 €1.82

7.69%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.1K

$34.7K €30.3K

14.56%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.2K

$39.2K €34.3K

1.65%

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

$258 CHF 209

$148 €130

74.20%

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

$36.31 CHF 29.36

$20.46 €17.90

77.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 CHF 48.02

$39.56 €34.61

50.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.5 CHF 72.3

$47.99 €41.99

86.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 CHF 40.49

$18.60 €16.27

169.25%

Cinema Ticket

$24.81 CHF 20.06

$9.22 €8.07

169.09%

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

$3,344 CHF 2,703

$616 €539

442.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.1K CHF 31.6K

$16.4K €14.4K

138.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 CHF 111

$103 €89.9

34.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.7 CHF 49.90

$41.74 €36.52

47.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 119

$94.8 €82.9

55.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$200 CHF 162

$122 €107

63.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,721 CHF 2,200

$1,633 €1,428

66.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 CHF 1,800

$1,232 €1,078

80.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,054 CHF 4,086

$3,098 €2,711

63.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,797 CHF 3,070

$2,031 €1,777

86.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.3K CHF 22.0K

$7,831 €6,851

248.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.4K CHF 13.3K

$4,389 €3,840

273.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,287 CHF 6,700

$1,607 €1,406

415.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

3.81

-45.14%

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

Last update for Zurich: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,721 in Zurich and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zurich pays 416% 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: $147 in Zurich vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $676 vs $267 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

Zurich vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zurich and Lisbon differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($4,270 vs $2,291 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 416% higher in Zurich, 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: $2,721 in Zurich versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,344 in Zurich versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 153% higher in Zurich. 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, Zurich 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 86% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.