Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chur and Lausanne

For one person, living is cheaper in Chur: $3,235 a month against $3,716 in Lausanne, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

158

Cost of Living Index in Chur
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Chur Living Index
181

Cost of Living Index in Lausanne
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Lausanne Living Index

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Chur

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,235

/mo nomad

Lausanne

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,235 per month in Chur vs $3,716 in Lausanne, rent included.

Chur $3,235
Lausanne $3,716

A couple spends around $5,037 per month in Chur vs $5,694 in Lausanne, rent included.

Chur $5,037
Lausanne $5,694

A family of three spends $6,840 per month in Chur vs $7,671 in Lausanne, rent included.

Chur $6,840
Lausanne $7,671

Chur is about 13% cheaper than Lausanne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chur and Lausanne sit above the global median – Chur by 140%, Lausanne by 175%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.57 CHF 23.53

$30.26 CHF 24.92

-5.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 CHF 87.7

$115 CHF 94.9

-7.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.08 CHF 13.24

$17.67 CHF 14.55

-9.00%

Cappuccino

$5.56 CHF 4.58

$6.17 CHF 5.08

-9.89%

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

$5.73 CHF 4.72

$5.08 CHF 4.18

12.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 CHF 4.26

$4.09 CHF 3.37

26.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.23 CHF 6.78

$10.38 CHF 8.55

-20.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.28 CHF 6.82

$9.86 CHF 8.12

-16.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.81

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-1.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 CHF 2.81

$3.94 CHF 3.24

-13.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 CHF 3.47

$3.26 CHF 2.69

29.14%

Eggs

$7.49 CHF 6.17

$7.05 CHF 5.81

6.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.47 CHF 21.80

$24.39 CHF 20.09

8.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.86 CHF 21.30

$27.45 CHF 22.61

-5.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.41 CHF 31.64

$38.74 CHF 31.91

-0.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 CHF 2.95

$3.47 CHF 2.85

3.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.68

$2.05 CHF 1.69

-0.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.14

$2.44 CHF 2.01

6.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 CHF 3.90

$4.58 CHF 3.77

3.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 CHF 1.57

$1.77 CHF 1.46

7.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.84

$1.99 CHF 1.64

12.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 CHF 1.99

$1.97 CHF 1.62

22.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 CHF 1.16

$1.66 CHF 1.36

-15.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.64 CHF 8.76

$10.57 CHF 8.71

0.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 CHF 10.64

$15.01 CHF 12.36

-13.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 CHF 1.84

$2.74 CHF 2.25

-18.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 CHF 2.82

$3.12 CHF 2.57

9.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.31 CHF 4.38

$4.43 CHF 3.65

19.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$184 CHF 151

$92.8 CHF 76.5

97.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.49 CHF 6.17

$7.96 CHF 6.55

-5.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.89 CHF 4.03

$4.57 CHF 3.76

7.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.1 CHF 71.8

$85.0 CHF 70.0

2.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 CHF 1.73

$2.28 CHF 1.87

-7.89%

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

$40.9K CHF 33.7K

$42.3K CHF 34.9K

-3.35%

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

$37.6K CHF 31.0K

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

-5.02%

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

$232 CHF 191

$292 CHF 240

-20.52%

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

$32.08 CHF 26.42

$36.21 CHF 29.82

-11.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.3 CHF 43.87

$50.5 CHF 41.62

5.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.6 CHF 64.8

$70.0 CHF 57.7

12.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.32 CHF 27.44

$47.43 CHF 39.07

-29.75%

Cinema Ticket

$21.55 CHF 17.75

$24.44 CHF 20.13

-11.82%

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

$2,424 CHF 1,997

$2,850 CHF 2,347

-14.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.7K CHF 36.8K

$37.1K CHF 30.5K

20.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.0 CHF 73.3

$142 CHF 117

-37.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.89 CHF 40.27

$77.7 CHF 64.0

-37.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 CHF 98.4

$138 CHF 114

-13.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 CHF 142

$214 CHF 176

-19.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 CHF 1,407

$2,256 CHF 1,858

-24.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 CHF 1,111

$1,763 CHF 1,452

-23.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,988 CHF 2,461

$4,291 CHF 3,534

-30.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,517 CHF 2,073

$3,206 CHF 2,640

-21.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,198 CHF 5,929

$18.2K CHF 15.0K

-60.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,335 CHF 4,394

$14.0K CHF 11.5K

-61.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,475 CHF 6,980

$6,426 CHF 5,292

31.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

1.95

-11.79%

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

Last update for Chur: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chur

$1.3K 41.7%

Lausanne

$1.8K 47.5% 30.8% $415

Groceries & Markets

Chur

$572 17.7%

Lausanne

$579 15.6% 1.2% $7.1

Eating Out

Chur

$445 13.8%

Lausanne

$477 12.9% 7.3% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chur

$317 9.8%

Lausanne

$379 10.2% 19.3% $61

Getting Around

Chur

$237 7.3%

Lausanne

$141 3.8% 40.3% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Chur

$193 6%

Lausanne

$257 6.9% 33.1% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Chur

$122 3.8%

Lausanne

$119 3.2% 2.3% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,709 in Chur 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 32% higher in Chur, 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 $107 in Chur versus $115 in Lausanne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $572 vs $579 – making Chur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Chur

🇨🇭 Lausanne

🕒 Local time

06:19 6:19 AM

Same time as Chur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,082

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chur Lausanne 220 km

From you

Chur
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

Chur vs Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,235 in Chur, $3,716 in Lausanne – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,852 per month in Chur 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 Chur, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $2,424 per month in Chur and $2,850 in Lausanne. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Lausanne, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,235 in Chur 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 $3,235 in Chur 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 Chur. 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.