Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Altstätten and Lausanne

For one person, living costs are similar in Altstätten and in Lausanne: $3,740 and $3,832 a month, rent and utilities included.

171

Cost of Living Index in Altstätten
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Altstätten Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Lausanne
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Lausanne Living Index

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Altstätten

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,740

/mo nomad

Lausanne

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Altstätten 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 Altstätten and in Lausanne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,740 per month in Altstätten vs $3,832 in Lausanne, rent included.

Altstätten $3,740
Lausanne $3,832

A couple spends around $5,258 per month in Altstätten vs $5,808 in Lausanne, rent included.

Altstätten $5,258
Lausanne $5,808

A family of three spends $6,776 per month in Altstätten vs $7,784 in Lausanne, rent included.

Altstätten $6,776
Lausanne $7,784

Altstätten and Lausanne have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Altstätten and Lausanne sit above the global median – Altstätten by 177%, Lausanne by 183%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.38 CHF 24.85

$30.02 CHF 24.55

1.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 CHF 99.1

$116 CHF 95.1

4.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.27 CHF 14.95

$18.37 CHF 15.02

-0.54%

Cappuccino

$6.23 CHF 5.10

$6.17 CHF 5.05

0.97%

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

$5.40 CHF 4.42

$4.94 CHF 4.04

9.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 CHF 4.06

$4.04 CHF 3.31

22.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.25 CHF 7.56

$10.43 CHF 8.53

-11.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.50 CHF 6.13

$9.92 CHF 8.11

-24.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.79

$2.22 CHF 1.81

-1.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.63 CHF 2.97

$3.93 CHF 3.22

-7.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 CHF 3.02

$3.28 CHF 2.68

12.50%

Eggs

$7.92 CHF 6.48

$7.35 CHF 6.01

7.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.62 CHF 21.77

$25.00 CHF 20.45

6.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.09 CHF 22.98

$28.00 CHF 22.90

0.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.58 CHF 33.19

$39.86 CHF 32.60

1.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 CHF 2.86

$3.69 CHF 3.02

-5.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 CHF 1.68

$2.14 CHF 1.75

-4.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 CHF 2.24

$2.48 CHF 2.03

10.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 CHF 3.94

$4.58 CHF 3.75

5.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 CHF 1.48

$1.82 CHF 1.49

-1.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.83

$2.04 CHF 1.67

9.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CHF 1.99

$2.02 CHF 1.65

20.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CHF 1.03

$1.76 CHF 1.44

-28.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.83 CHF 8.86

$11.10 CHF 9.08

-2.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 CHF 10.01

$15.26 CHF 12.48

-19.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 CHF 2.31

$2.68 CHF 2.19

5.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CHF 2.53

$3.29 CHF 2.69

-6.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.32 CHF 3.53

$4.83 CHF 3.95

-10.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.1 CHF 81.0

$97.1 CHF 79.4

2.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.50 CHF 6.13

$8.08 CHF 6.61

-7.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.18 CHF 3.42

$4.67 CHF 3.82

-10.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.6 CHF 59.4

$85.7 CHF 70.1

-15.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 CHF 1.92

$2.32 CHF 1.90

1.29%

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

$42.1K CHF 34.4K

$38.7K CHF 31.6K

8.84%

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

$38.9K CHF 31.8K

$39.0K CHF 31.9K

-0.29%

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

$256 CHF 209

$294 CHF 240

-12.86%

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

$30.76 CHF 25.16

$37.95 CHF 31.04

-18.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 CHF 47.85

$53.1 CHF 43.47

10.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.6 CHF 61.9

$73.8 CHF 60.4

2.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.38 CHF 35.48

$48.25 CHF 39.47

-10.09%

Cinema Ticket

$20.89 CHF 17.09

$24.47 CHF 20.01

-14.63%

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

$2,539 CHF 2,077

$2,912 CHF 2,382

-12.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.3K CHF 28.1K

$43.3K CHF 35.4K

-20.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 110

$144 CHF 118

-6.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.0 CHF 58.0

$79.2 CHF 64.8

-10.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$165 CHF 135

$140 CHF 115

18.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$193 CHF 158

$221 CHF 181

-12.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,720 CHF 1,407

$2,445 CHF 2,000

-29.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 CHF 1,482

$1,844 CHF 1,509

-1.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,810 CHF 2,298

$4,324 CHF 3,536

-35.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,294 CHF 1,877

$3,239 CHF 2,649

-29.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.8K CHF 12.9K

$18.6K CHF 15.2K

-15.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K CHF 9,616

$13.8K CHF 11.3K

-14.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,545 CHF 5,353

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.03

1.95

4.10%

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

Last update for Altstätten: November 1, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Altstätten

$1.8K 48.5%

Lausanne

$1.8K 48.1% 1.8% $32

Groceries & Markets

Altstätten

$591 15.8%

Lausanne

$592 15.5% 0.1% $0.9

Eating Out

Altstätten

$475 12.7%

Lausanne

$477 12.5% 0.4% $1.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Altstätten

$345 9.2%

Lausanne

$385 10% 11.5% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Altstätten

$254 6.8%

Lausanne

$263 6.9% 3.7% $9.3

Getting Around

Altstätten

$145 3.9%

Lausanne

$148 3.9% 2.2% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Altstätten

$117 3.1%

Lausanne

$123 3.2% 4.5% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,720 in Altstätten versus $2,445 in Lausanne. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $121 in Altstätten versus $116 in Lausanne. Groceries tell a different story – $591 in Altstätten vs $592 in Lausanne – so Altstätten wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Altstätten

🇨🇭 Lausanne

🕒 Local time

02:07 2:07 AM

Same time as Altstätten

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,145

133,521

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Altstätten vs Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,610 per month in Altstätten and $5,748 in Lausanne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Altstätten, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,720 there versus $2,445 in Lausanne.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $121 in Altstätten and $116 in Lausanne. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $2,539 per month in Altstätten and $2,912 in Lausanne. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,740 in Altstätten and $3,832 in Lausanne. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Altstätten – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.