Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Lausanne

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,704 a month against $3,790 in Lausanne, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
182

Cost of Living Index in Lausanne
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Lausanne Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Lausanne

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,790

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $3,790 in Lausanne.

Austin, TX $2,704
Lausanne $3,790

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $5,672 in Lausanne.

Austin, TX $4,133
Lausanne $5,672

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $7,554 in Lausanne.

Austin, TX $5,562
Lausanne $7,554

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 29% less than in Lausanne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Lausanne 183% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$29.72 CHF 24.67

-31.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$117 CHF 96.9

-27.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$17.81 CHF 14.78

-30.66%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$6.03 CHF 5.00

-9.29%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$4.99 CHF 4.14

-23.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$4.10 CHF 3.40

-39.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$10.12 CHF 8.40

-20.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$9.39 CHF 7.80

-4.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.24 CHF 1.86

-49.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.96 CHF 3.29

-4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.33 CHF 2.77

-2.40%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$7.05 CHF 5.85

-41.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$24.14 CHF 20.04

-45.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$27.93 CHF 23.19

-48.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$39.52 CHF 32.81

-59.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.47 CHF 2.88

26.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.14 CHF 1.78

-32.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.56 CHF 2.12

77.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.65 CHF 3.86

-9.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.78 CHF 1.48

47.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.97 CHF 1.64

19.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.97 CHF 1.63

-10.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.73 CHF 1.44

24.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$10.68 CHF 8.86

-8.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$15.21 CHF 12.63

-3.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.70 CHF 2.24

2.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.18 CHF 2.64

9.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$4.45 CHF 3.69

-66.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$94.3 CHF 78.3

-57.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$7.89 CHF 6.55

-66.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$4.50 CHF 3.74

-64.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$83.4 CHF 69.2

-57.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.30 CHF 1.91

-56.96%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$43.5K CHF 36.1K

-17.76%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$39.6K CHF 32.8K

-31.32%

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

$219 $219

$288 CHF 239

-23.90%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$37.56 CHF 31.17

54.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$52.2 CHF 43.35

30.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$72.2 CHF 60.0

-19.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$48.87 CHF 40.56

-69.67%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$23.88 CHF 19.82

-40.83%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$2,913 CHF 2,418

-48.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$36.7K CHF 30.5K

-41.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$142 CHF 118

-63.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$77.0 CHF 63.9

-42.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$142 CHF 118

-39.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$212 CHF 176

-50.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$2,280 CHF 1,892

-15.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$1,814 CHF 1,505

-29.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$4,204 CHF 3,489

-12.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$3,202 CHF 2,657

-21.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$18.2K CHF 15.1K

-58.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$13.7K CHF 11.4K

-76.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$6,565 CHF 5,449

-22.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

1.95

248.21%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Lausanne

$1.8K 48.2% 42.5% $541

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Lausanne

$586 15.6% 45.5% $183

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Lausanne

$469 12.5% 34.8% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Lausanne

$378 10% 9.3% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Lausanne

$257 6.8% 100% $129

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Lausanne

$120 3.2% 39.3% $34

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Lausanne

$143 3.8% 150% $86

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $2,280 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lausanne pays 29% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $117 in Lausanne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $586 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇭 Lausanne

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

09:03 9:03 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

133,521

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CHF = 1.2 USD

1 CHF = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 0.931 CHF (1 CHF = 1.07 EUR).

CHF to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Lausanne 8,610 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
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

Austin, TX vs Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Lausanne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Lausanne. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $2,280 in Lausanne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,790 in Lausanne – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 133% less than in Lausanne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,704 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Lausanne 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.