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: $4,731 in Zurich versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,187 in Zurich versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,642 in Zurich versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Zurich is roughly 104% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 244% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$37.35 CHF 30.16

$17.30 €14.87

115.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 120

$63.3 €54.4

134.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.46 CHF 14.91

$11.39 €9.79

62.07%

Cappuccino

$7.03 CHF 5.68

$3.19 €2.74

120.38%

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

$5.88 CHF 4.75

$2.45 €2.10

140.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 CHF 4.36

$1.76 €1.52

206.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.98 CHF 8.06

$3.59 €3.09

177.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.85 CHF 7.14

$3.39 €2.92

161.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.74

$1.24 €1.06

74.19%

White Bread (500g)

$4.06 CHF 3.28

$1.98 €1.71

105.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.21

$1.52 €1.31

161.84%

Eggs

$8.69 CHF 7.02

$4.04 €3.47

115.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.65 CHF 22.33

$13.54 €11.64

104.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.77 CHF 22.42

$8.39 €7.21

230.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$61.1 CHF 49.37

$18.25 €15.69

234.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.08 CHF 3.29

$2.29 €1.97

78.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 CHF 2.36

$1.74 €1.50

67.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 CHF 2.90

$1.86 €1.60

93.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 CHF 3.99

$2.63 €2.26

87.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 CHF 2.11

$1.92 €1.65

36.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.86

$2.09 €1.80

10.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CHF 2.10

$1.44 €1.24

80.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CHF 1.04

$0.84 €0.72

53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.92 CHF 8.82

$6.78 €5.83

61.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.57 CHF 10.96

$5.71 €4.91

137.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 CHF 2.33

$1.38 €1.18

109.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 CHF 2.53

$2.22 €1.91

41.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.57 CHF 4.50

$2.40 €2.06

132.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 CHF 86.5

$46.78 €40.22

128.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 CHF 6.57

$4.17 €3.59

94.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.82 CHF 3.89

$1.14 €0.98

322.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$92.7 CHF 74.8

$17.68 €15.20

424.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.88

$2.32 €2.00

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

$40.2K CHF 32.5K

$35.3K €30.4K

13.85%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.1K

$41.4K €35.6K

-3.94%

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

$290 CHF 234

$170 €146

69.97%

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

$39.27 CHF 31.71

$19.34 €16.62

103.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 CHF 46.46

$33.64 €28.92

71.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.0 CHF 73.5

$48.10 €41.35

89.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$63.6 CHF 51.3

$19.90 €17.11

219.35%

Cinema Ticket

$25.00 CHF 20.19

$9.92 €8.53

152.02%

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

$3,759 CHF 3,036

$717 €617

424.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.8K CHF 34.6K

$17.5K €15.0K

144.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$143 CHF 115

$105 €90.1

36.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.5 CHF 48.85

$46.95 €40.36

28.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$167 CHF 135

$103 €88.9

61.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$263 CHF 212

$124 €107

112.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 CHF 2,524

$1,677 €1,441

86.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 CHF 2,021

$1,271 €1,093

96.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,322 CHF 5,105

$2,985 €2,566

111.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,166 CHF 3,364

$1,992 €1,713

109.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.2K CHF 22.8K

$7,826 €6,728

260.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.4K CHF 13.2K

$4,658 €4,004

251.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,301 CHF 6,703

$1,583 €1,361

424.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

3.79

-45.38%

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

Last update for Zurich: September 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,126 in Zurich and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zurich pays 424% 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: $149 in Zurich vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $681 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

Zurich vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zurich and Lisbon differ by about 104% in total monthly costs ($4,731 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 424% 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: $3,126 in Zurich versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,759 in Zurich 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 141% 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 104% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.