Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aarau and Lausanne

For one person, living is cheaper in Aarau: $2,794 a month against $3,716 in Lausanne, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Aarau
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Aarau Living Index
181

Cost of Living Index in Lausanne
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Lausanne Living Index

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Aarau

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,794

/mo nomad

Lausanne

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aarau and in Lausanne

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aarau and in Lausanne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,794 per month in Aarau vs $3,716 in Lausanne, rent included.

Aarau $2,794
Lausanne $3,716

A couple spends around $4,568 per month in Aarau vs $5,694 in Lausanne, rent included.

Aarau $4,568
Lausanne $5,694

A family of three spends $6,342 per month in Aarau vs $7,671 in Lausanne, rent included.

Aarau $6,342
Lausanne $7,671

Aarau is about 25% cheaper than Lausanne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Aarau and Lausanne sit above the global median – Aarau by 107%, Lausanne by 175%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.07 CHF 23.94

$30.26 CHF 24.92

-3.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 CHF 87.6

$115 CHF 94.9

-7.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.63 CHF 14.52

$17.67 CHF 14.55

-0.23%

Cappuccino

$5.80 CHF 4.78

$6.17 CHF 5.08

-6.00%

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

$5.22 CHF 4.30

$5.08 CHF 4.18

2.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 CHF 3.87

$4.09 CHF 3.37

14.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 CHF 5.06

$10.38 CHF 8.55

-40.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 CHF 5.44

$9.86 CHF 8.12

-33.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CHF 1.69

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-8.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 CHF 2.98

$3.94 CHF 3.24

-8.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 CHF 2.13

$3.26 CHF 2.69

-20.55%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.95

$7.05 CHF 5.81

2.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.30 CHF 24.96

$24.39 CHF 20.09

24.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.34 CHF 24.16

$27.45 CHF 22.61

6.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.30 CHF 33.19

$38.74 CHF 31.91

4.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.38

$3.47 CHF 2.85

-16.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.46

$2.05 CHF 1.69

-13.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 2.01

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 CHF 4.53

$4.58 CHF 3.77

20.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 CHF 1.37

$1.77 CHF 1.46

-6.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 CHF 1.61

$1.99 CHF 1.64

-1.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CHF 1.87

$1.97 CHF 1.62

15.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CHF 0.98

$1.66 CHF 1.36

-28.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.86 CHF 8.94

$10.57 CHF 8.71

2.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.21 CHF 8.41

$15.01 CHF 12.36

-31.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.05

$2.74 CHF 2.25

-9.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 CHF 2.36

$3.12 CHF 2.57

-8.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.11 CHF 4.20

$4.43 CHF 3.65

15.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$146 CHF 120

$92.8 CHF 76.5

57.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.84 CHF 5.64

$7.96 CHF 6.55

-14.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 CHF 2.74

$4.57 CHF 3.76

-27.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.8 CHF 48.45

$85.0 CHF 70.0

-30.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$2.28 CHF 1.87

-2.63%

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

$42.9K CHF 35.4K

$42.3K CHF 34.9K

1.37%

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

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

-0.81%

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

$120 CHF 98.9

$292 CHF 240

-58.87%

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

$30.84 CHF 25.40

$36.21 CHF 29.82

-14.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 CHF 45.84

$50.5 CHF 41.62

10.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.9 CHF 80.6

$70.0 CHF 57.7

39.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.6 CHF 49.04

$47.43 CHF 39.07

25.55%

Cinema Ticket

$21.42 CHF 17.64

$24.44 CHF 20.13

-12.36%

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

$3,152 CHF 2,596

$2,850 CHF 2,347

10.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K CHF 26.7K

$37.1K CHF 30.5K

-12.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 CHF 73.0

$142 CHF 117

-37.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.6 CHF 58.2

$77.7 CHF 64.0

-9.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 CHF 90.1

$138 CHF 114

-20.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 CHF 140

$214 CHF 176

-20.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 CHF 1,052

$2,256 CHF 1,858

-43.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 CHF 851

$1,763 CHF 1,452

-41.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,290 CHF 1,886

$4,291 CHF 3,534

-46.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 CHF 1,742

$3,206 CHF 2,640

-34.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 15.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K CHF 9,759

$14.0K CHF 11.5K

-15.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,801 CHF 5,601

$6,426 CHF 5,292

5.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.31

1.95

18.46%

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

Last update for Aarau: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Aarau

$1K 37%

Lausanne

$1.8K 47.5% 70.7% $730

Groceries & Markets

Aarau

$588 21%

Lausanne

$579 15.6% 1.5% $8.9

Eating Out

Aarau

$439 15.7%

Lausanne

$477 12.9% 8.8% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aarau

$207 7.4%

Lausanne

$379 10.2% 83.3% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Aarau

$197 7.1%

Lausanne

$257 6.9% 30.5% $60

Getting Around

Aarau

$190 6.8%

Lausanne

$141 3.8% 25.6% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Aarau

$141 5%

Lausanne

$119 3.2% 15.5% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,277 in Aarau versus $2,256 in Lausanne. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 6% higher in Aarau, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $106 in Aarau versus $115 in Lausanne. Groceries tell a different story – $588 in Aarau vs $579 in Lausanne – so Lausanne wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Aarau

🇨🇭 Lausanne

🕒 Local time

21:37 9:37 PM

Same time as Aarau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,191

133,521

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Aarau Lausanne 140 km

From you

Aarau
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Aarau vs Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lausanne costs about 33% more than Aarau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,191 per month in Aarau and $5,574 in Lausanne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aarau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Aarau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $3,152 per month in Aarau and $2,850 in Lausanne. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,794 in Aarau and $3,716 in Lausanne. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aarau costs $2,794 versus $3,716 in Lausanne. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Aarau. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lausanne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.