Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Chaux-de-Fonds and Lausanne

For one person, living is cheaper in La Chaux-de-Fonds: $2,965 a month against $3,716 in Lausanne, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in La Chaux-de-Fonds
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La Chaux-de-Fonds Living Index
181

Cost of Living Index in Lausanne
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Lausanne Living Index

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La Chaux-de-Fonds

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,965

/mo nomad

Lausanne

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in La Chaux-de-Fonds 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 La Chaux-de-Fonds and in Lausanne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,965 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds vs $3,716 in Lausanne, rent included.

La Chaux-de-Fonds $2,965
Lausanne $3,716

A couple spends around $4,731 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds vs $5,694 in Lausanne, rent included.

La Chaux-de-Fonds $4,731
Lausanne $5,694

A family of three spends $6,498 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds vs $7,671 in Lausanne, rent included.

La Chaux-de-Fonds $6,498
Lausanne $7,671

La Chaux-de-Fonds is about 20% cheaper than Lausanne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both La Chaux-de-Fonds and Lausanne sit above the global median – La Chaux-de-Fonds by 120%, Lausanne by 175%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.06 CHF 19.81

$30.26 CHF 24.92

-20.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 CHF 69.8

$115 CHF 94.9

-26.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.02 CHF 14.84

$17.67 CHF 14.55

1.98%

Cappuccino

$4.67 CHF 3.85

$6.17 CHF 5.08

-24.31%

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

$3.55 CHF 2.93

$5.08 CHF 4.18

-30.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 CHF 3.69

$4.09 CHF 3.37

9.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 CHF 5.98

$10.38 CHF 8.55

-30.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 CHF 4.82

$9.86 CHF 8.12

-40.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.79

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-2.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 CHF 2.45

$3.94 CHF 3.24

-24.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 CHF 2.65

$3.26 CHF 2.69

-1.23%

Eggs

$7.74 CHF 6.37

$7.05 CHF 5.81

9.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.32 CHF 20.85

$24.39 CHF 20.09

3.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.73 CHF 22.01

$27.45 CHF 22.61

-2.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.67 CHF 34.32

$38.74 CHF 31.91

7.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 CHF 3.01

$3.47 CHF 2.85

5.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 CHF 1.93

$2.05 CHF 1.69

14.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 CHF 2.41

$2.44 CHF 2.01

20.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 CHF 3.70

$4.58 CHF 3.77

-1.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 CHF 1.37

$1.77 CHF 1.46

-6.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 CHF 1.57

$1.99 CHF 1.64

-4.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 CHF 1.85

$1.97 CHF 1.62

13.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CHF 1.28

$1.66 CHF 1.36

-6.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.96 CHF 9.03

$10.57 CHF 8.71

3.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.96 CHF 9.85

$15.01 CHF 12.36

-20.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CHF 2.01

$2.74 CHF 2.25

-10.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 CHF 2.47

$3.12 CHF 2.57

-3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.63 CHF 3.81

$4.43 CHF 3.65

4.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.1 CHF 80.8

$92.8 CHF 76.5

5.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 CHF 6.36

$7.96 CHF 6.55

-3.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.46 CHF 3.68

$4.57 CHF 3.76

-2.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$84.5 CHF 69.6

$85.0 CHF 70.0

-0.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 CHF 1.94

$2.28 CHF 1.87

3.07%

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

$42.9K CHF 35.4K

$42.3K CHF 34.9K

1.36%

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

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

-0.16%

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

$291 CHF 239

$292 CHF 240

-0.48%

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

$45.30 CHF 37.31

$36.21 CHF 29.82

25.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 CHF 53.1

$50.5 CHF 41.62

27.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.2 CHF 60.3

$70.0 CHF 57.7

4.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.07 CHF 37.12

$47.43 CHF 39.07

-4.98%

Cinema Ticket

$22.43 CHF 18.47

$24.44 CHF 20.13

-8.22%

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

$2,924 CHF 2,408

$2,850 CHF 2,347

2.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CHF 16.6K

$37.1K CHF 30.5K

-45.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 121

$142 CHF 117

3.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.1 CHF 65.1

$77.7 CHF 64.0

1.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 CHF 133

$138 CHF 114

16.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$197 CHF 162

$214 CHF 176

-8.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 CHF 1,205

$2,256 CHF 1,858

-35.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 CHF 889

$1,763 CHF 1,452

-38.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,904 CHF 3,215

$4,291 CHF 3,534

-9.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,324 CHF 1,914

$3,206 CHF 2,640

-27.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.4K

$18.2K CHF 15.0K

-10.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.3K CHF 10.1K

$14.0K CHF 11.5K

-12.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,068 CHF 4,174

$6,426 CHF 5,292

-21.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.42

1.95

24.10%

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

Last update for La Chaux-de-Fonds: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$1.1K 36.4%

Lausanne

$1.8K 47.5% 63.4% $684

Groceries & Markets

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$575 19.4%

Lausanne

$579 15.6% 0.6% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$400 13.5%

Lausanne

$379 10.2% 5.4% $22

Eating Out

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$383 12.9%

Lausanne

$477 12.9% 24.7% $95

Clothing & Footwear

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$263 8.9%

Lausanne

$257 6.9% 2% $5.2

Getting Around

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$147 5%

Lausanne

$141 3.8% 3.6% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$118 4%

Lausanne

$119 3.2% 0.7% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,463 in La Chaux-de-Fonds 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 27% higher in Lausanne, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $115 in Lausanne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $575 vs $579 – making La Chaux-de-Fonds the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 La Chaux-de-Fonds

🇨🇭 Lausanne

🕒 Local time

11:34 11:34 AM

Same time as La Chaux-de-Fonds

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,027

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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La Chaux-de-Fonds Lausanne 66 km

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La Chaux-de-Fonds
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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

La Chaux-de-Fonds vs Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lausanne costs about 25% more than La Chaux-de-Fonds, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,447 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds 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 La Chaux-de-Fonds, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in La Chaux-de-Fonds and $115 in Lausanne. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,965 in La Chaux-de-Fonds and $3,716 in Lausanne. That's a gap of about 25%.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,965 in La Chaux-de-Fonds and $3,716 in Lausanne. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. La Chaux-de-Fonds costs $2,965 versus $3,716 in Lausanne. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 La Chaux-de-Fonds. 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.