Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Interlaken and Lausanne

For one person, living costs are similar in Interlaken and in Lausanne: $3,832 and $3,716 a month, rent and utilities included.

187

Cost of Living Index in Interlaken
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Interlaken Living Index
181

Cost of Living Index in Lausanne
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Lausanne Living Index

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Interlaken

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,832

/mo nomad

Lausanne

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,832 in Interlaken versus $3,716 in Lausanne.

Interlaken $3,832
Lausanne $3,716

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,054 in Interlaken versus $5,694 in Lausanne.

Interlaken $6,054
Lausanne $5,694

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,276 in Interlaken versus $7,671 in Lausanne.

Interlaken $8,276
Lausanne $7,671

Living in Interlaken is roughly 3% more expensive than in Lausanne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Interlaken 184% above, Lausanne 175% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.08 CHF 24.77

$30.26 CHF 24.92

-0.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.0 CHF 79.9

$115 CHF 94.9

-15.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.32 CHF 15.09

$17.67 CHF 14.55

3.68%

Cappuccino

$5.23 CHF 4.31

$6.17 CHF 5.08

-15.24%

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

$5.33 CHF 4.39

$5.08 CHF 4.18

4.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 CHF 2.93

$4.09 CHF 3.37

-12.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 CHF 6.64

$10.38 CHF 8.55

-22.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 CHF 4.32

$9.86 CHF 8.12

-46.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 CHF 1.34

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-26.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 CHF 2.88

$3.94 CHF 3.24

-11.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 CHF 3.76

$3.26 CHF 2.69

39.88%

Eggs

$7.36 CHF 6.06

$7.05 CHF 5.81

4.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.48 CHF 25.93

$24.39 CHF 20.09

29.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.83 CHF 24.56

$27.45 CHF 22.61

8.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.38 CHF 34.90

$38.74 CHF 31.91

9.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.93 CHF 3.23

$3.47 CHF 2.85

13.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 CHF 1.30

$2.05 CHF 1.69

-23.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 CHF 2.21

$2.44 CHF 2.01

9.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 CHF 2.56

$4.58 CHF 3.77

-32.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 CHF 1.10

$1.77 CHF 1.46

-24.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 CHF 1.41

$1.99 CHF 1.64

-14.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 CHF 1.75

$1.97 CHF 1.62

8.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 CHF 0.99

$1.66 CHF 1.36

-27.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.82 CHF 8.91

$10.57 CHF 8.71

2.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.59 CHF 10.37

$15.01 CHF 12.36

-16.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CHF 1.81

$2.74 CHF 2.25

-19.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 CHF 3.14

$3.12 CHF 2.57

22.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.09 CHF 3.37

$4.43 CHF 3.65

-7.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$194 CHF 160

$92.8 CHF 76.5

109.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.09 CHF 5.02

$7.96 CHF 6.55

-23.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$6.04 CHF 4.97

$4.57 CHF 3.76

32.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.7 CHF 50.0

$85.0 CHF 70.0

-28.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.88

$2.28 CHF 1.87

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

$42.6K CHF 35.1K

$42.3K CHF 34.9K

0.68%

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

$38.3K CHF 31.5K

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

-3.38%

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

$354 CHF 292

$292 CHF 240

21.33%

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

$31.34 CHF 25.82

$36.21 CHF 29.82

-13.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 CHF 58.8

$50.5 CHF 41.62

41.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.2 CHF 80.1

$70.0 CHF 57.7

38.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.43 CHF 39.07

Cinema Ticket

$27.83 CHF 22.92

$24.44 CHF 20.13

13.87%

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

$3,585 CHF 2,953

$2,850 CHF 2,347

25.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.2K CHF 26.6K

$37.1K CHF 30.5K

-12.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$157 CHF 130

$142 CHF 117

10.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$120 CHF 99.0

$77.7 CHF 64.0

54.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$200 CHF 165

$138 CHF 114

45.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$323 CHF 266

$214 CHF 176

50.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,926 CHF 1,586

$2,256 CHF 1,858

-14.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,571 CHF 1,294

$1,763 CHF 1,452

-10.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,291 CHF 2,711

$4,291 CHF 3,534

-23.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,373 CHF 2,778

$3,206 CHF 2,640

5.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.1K CHF 9,993

$18.2K CHF 15.0K

-33.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,397 CHF 6,916

$14.0K CHF 11.5K

-39.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,431 CHF 6,120

$6,426 CHF 5,292

15.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.48

1.95

27.18%

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

Last update for Interlaken: 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

Interlaken

$1.6K 41%

Lausanne

$1.8K 47.5% 12.2% $192

Groceries & Markets

Interlaken

$599 15.6%

Lausanne

$579 15.6% 3.4% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Interlaken

$457 11.9%

Lausanne

$379 10.2% 17.1% $78

Eating Out

Interlaken

$445 11.6%

Lausanne

$477 12.9% 7.3% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Interlaken

$360 9.4%

Lausanne

$257 6.9% 28.6% $103

Getting Around

Interlaken

$247 6.4%

Lausanne

$141 3.8% 42.8% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Interlaken

$153 4%

Lausanne

$119 3.2% 22.2% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,926 in Interlaken and $2,256 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Interlaken pays 16% 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: $97.0 in Interlaken vs $115 in Lausanne. Groceries flip the comparison at $599 vs $579, with Lausanne cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Interlaken

🇨🇭 Lausanne

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

Same time as Interlaken

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,600

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

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Interlaken Lausanne 95 km

From you

Interlaken
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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

Interlaken vs Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lausanne is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 16% higher in Interlaken, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,926 in Interlaken versus $2,256 in Lausanne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,832 per month in Interlaken versus $3,716 in Lausanne – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lausanne runs roughly 109% less than in Interlaken. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lausanne is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Lausanne is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Interlaken, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Interlaken 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 Lausanne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Interlaken. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.