Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arbon and Lausanne

For one person, living is cheaper in Arbon: $3,464 a month against $3,716 in Lausanne, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lausanne outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

167

Cost of Living Index in Arbon
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Arbon Living Index
181

Cost of Living Index in Lausanne
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Lausanne Living Index

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Arbon

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,464

/mo nomad

Lausanne

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,464 per month in Arbon vs $3,716 in Lausanne, rent included.

Arbon $3,464
Lausanne $3,716

A couple spends around $5,192 per month in Arbon vs $5,694 in Lausanne, rent included.

Arbon $5,192
Lausanne $5,694

A family of three spends $6,920 per month in Arbon vs $7,671 in Lausanne, rent included.

Arbon $6,920
Lausanne $7,671

Arbon is about 7% cheaper than Lausanne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Arbon and Lausanne sit above the global median – Arbon by 157%, Lausanne by 175%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.53 CHF 24.33

$30.26 CHF 24.92

-2.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$144 CHF 118

$115 CHF 94.9

24.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.95 CHF 15.61

$17.67 CHF 14.55

7.24%

Cappuccino

$6.11 CHF 5.03

$6.17 CHF 5.08

-0.97%

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

$5.74 CHF 4.73

$5.08 CHF 4.18

12.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 CHF 4.19

$4.09 CHF 3.37

24.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.00 CHF 7.42

$10.38 CHF 8.55

-13.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 CHF 5.08

$9.86 CHF 8.12

-37.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.78

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-3.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 CHF 2.60

$3.94 CHF 3.24

-20.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 CHF 3.12

$3.26 CHF 2.69

16.26%

Eggs

$7.88 CHF 6.49

$7.05 CHF 5.81

11.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.14 CHF 20.71

$24.39 CHF 20.09

3.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.42 CHF 23.41

$27.45 CHF 22.61

3.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.09 CHF 33.84

$38.74 CHF 31.91

6.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 CHF 2.82

$3.47 CHF 2.85

-1.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.65

$2.05 CHF 1.69

-2.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 CHF 1.97

$2.44 CHF 2.01

-2.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.28 CHF 4.35

$4.58 CHF 3.77

15.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.68

$1.77 CHF 1.46

15.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CHF 1.80

$1.99 CHF 1.64

10.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CHF 1.88

$1.97 CHF 1.62

15.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 CHF 1.01

$1.66 CHF 1.36

-26.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.64 CHF 8.77

$10.57 CHF 8.71

0.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.47 CHF 13.57

$15.01 CHF 12.36

9.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 CHF 1.75

$2.74 CHF 2.25

-22.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 CHF 1.85

$3.12 CHF 2.57

-27.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.81 CHF 3.96

$4.43 CHF 3.65

8.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 CHF 79.1

$92.8 CHF 76.5

3.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.50 CHF 5.35

$7.96 CHF 6.55

-18.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.73 CHF 3.89

$4.57 CHF 3.76

3.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.17 CHF 29.79

$85.0 CHF 70.0

-57.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.89

$2.28 CHF 1.87

0.44%

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

$34.5K CHF 28.4K

$42.3K CHF 34.9K

-18.64%

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

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

-0.80%

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

$275 CHF 227

$292 CHF 240

-5.68%

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

$38.11 CHF 31.39

$36.21 CHF 29.82

5.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 CHF 44.78

$50.5 CHF 41.62

7.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.0 CHF 74.1

$70.0 CHF 57.7

28.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.06 CHF 32.17

$47.43 CHF 39.07

-17.65%

Cinema Ticket

$23.43 CHF 19.29

$24.44 CHF 20.13

-4.13%

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

$2,250 CHF 1,853

$2,850 CHF 2,347

-21.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K CHF 25.8K

$37.1K CHF 30.5K

-15.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$143 CHF 118

$142 CHF 117

0.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 CHF 53.6

$77.7 CHF 64.0

-16.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 CHF 118

$138 CHF 114

3.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 CHF 146

$214 CHF 176

-17.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,561 CHF 1,286

$2,256 CHF 1,858

-30.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 CHF 1,253

$1,763 CHF 1,452

-13.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,904 CHF 2,392

$4,291 CHF 3,534

-32.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,322 CHF 1,912

$3,206 CHF 2,640

-27.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K CHF 11.5K

$18.2K CHF 15.0K

-23.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.6K CHF 11.2K

$14.0K CHF 11.5K

-2.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$11.1K CHF 9,124

$6,426 CHF 5,292

72.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.9

1.95

-2.56%

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

Last update for Arbon: 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

Arbon

$1.5K 43.9%

Lausanne

$1.8K 47.5% 15.9% $242

Groceries & Markets

Arbon

$588 17%

Lausanne

$579 15.6% 1.6% $9.3

Eating Out

Arbon

$467 13.5%

Lausanne

$477 12.9% 2.2% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arbon

$368 10.6%

Lausanne

$379 10.2% 2.9% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Arbon

$238 6.9%

Lausanne

$257 6.9% 8.1% $19

Getting Around

Arbon

$145 4.2%

Lausanne

$141 3.8% 2.8% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Arbon

$137 4%

Lausanne

$119 3.2% 13.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,561 in Arbon 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 72% higher in Arbon, 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 $144 in Arbon versus $115 in Lausanne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $588 vs $579 – making Lausanne the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Arbon

🇨🇭 Lausanne

🕒 Local time

11:28 11:28 AM

Same time as Arbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,853

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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Highest

Between locations

Arbon Lausanne 240 km

From you

Arbon
Lausanne

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

Arbon vs Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,464 in Arbon, $3,716 in Lausanne – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,197 per month in Arbon 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 Arbon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,464 in Arbon and $3,716 in Lausanne. That's a gap of about 7%.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Arbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,464 in Arbon and $3,716 in Lausanne. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Lausanne has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,464 in Arbon to $3,716 in Lausanne. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Arbon. 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.