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: $4,254 in Zurich versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,409 in Zurich versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,563 in Zurich versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Zurich is roughly 93% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 217% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.04 CHF 24.56

$15.91 €13.70

95.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 118

$64.8 €55.8

130.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.83 CHF 16.48

$10.51 €9.05

98.19%

Cappuccino

$6.72 CHF 5.31

$2.87 €2.47

134.15%

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

$5.90 CHF 4.67

$2.24 €1.93

163.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 CHF 4.23

$1.50 €1.30

256.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.85 CHF 7.79

$3.49 €3.01

182.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 CHF 6.97

$3.88 €3.34

127.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.79

$1.14 €0.98

98.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 CHF 2.61

$1.75 €1.51

88.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 CHF 3.26

$1.76 €1.51

134.09%

Eggs

$7.19 CHF 5.68

$3.22 €2.77

123.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.88 CHF 23.64

$13.49 €11.62

121.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.59 CHF 26.57

$7.91 €6.81

324.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$49.65 CHF 39.28

$15.87 €13.67

212.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 CHF 3.20

$2.31 €1.99

74.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 CHF 2.29

$1.70 €1.46

70.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 CHF 2.41

$2.01 €1.73

51.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.24 CHF 4.15

$2.46 €2.12

113.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 CHF 2.26

$1.84 €1.59

54.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 CHF 1.88

$2.00 €1.72

19.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CHF 1.98

$1.93 €1.66

29.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 CHF 1.35

$0.79 €0.68

115.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.96 CHF 8.67

$6.61 €5.69

65.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 CHF 11.91

$5.72 €4.93

163.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 CHF 2.07

$1.37 €1.18

91.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 CHF 2.56

$2.97 €2.56

8.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.82 CHF 3.81

$2.37 €2.04

103.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 83.9

$45.56 €39.23

132.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.55 CHF 5.97

$4.29 €3.69

75.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.15 CHF 3.28

$0.82 €0.70

406.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.1 CHF 70.5

$18.30 €15.76

386.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.82

$2.06 €1.78

11.17%

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

$41.1K CHF 32.5K

$34.3K €29.5K

19.87%

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

$39.3K CHF 31.1K

$39.3K €33.8K

0.13%

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

$259 CHF 205

$148 €127

74.87%

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

$35.51 CHF 28.09

$20.52 €17.67

73.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 CHF 46.24

$39.61 €34.11

47.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.8 CHF 70.3

$47.85 €41.20

85.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.84 CHF 38.63

$18.92 €16.29

158.14%

Cinema Ticket

$25.07 CHF 19.83

$9.18 €7.91

173.09%

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

$3,470 CHF 2,746

$614 €529

465.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.0K CHF 30.9K

$16.0K €13.8K

143.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 108

$105 €90.1

30.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 CHF 49.29

$42.06 €36.22

48.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 117

$94.0 €80.9

57.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 CHF 160

$120 €103

69.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,686 CHF 2,125

$1,628 €1,402

65.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,205 CHF 1,744

$1,255 €1,081

75.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,902 CHF 3,878

$3,030 €2,609

61.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,702 CHF 2,929

$2,020 €1,740

83.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$26.1K CHF 20.6K

$7,800 €6,716

234.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K CHF 13.0K

$4,273 €3,679

285.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,722 CHF 6,900

$1,603 €1,381

443.93%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,686 in Zurich and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zurich pays 444% 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 $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $677 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

Zurich vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zurich and Lisbon differ by about 93% in total monthly costs ($4,254 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Zurich pays 444% 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: $2,686 in Zurich versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,470 in Zurich 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 151% 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 93% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.