Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lachen and Zurich

For one person, living is cheaper in Lachen: $3,423 a month against $4,270 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Lachen
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Lachen Living Index
207

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
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Zurich Living Index

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Lachen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,423

/mo nomad

Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lachen and in Zurich

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lachen and in Zurich actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,423 in Lachen versus $4,270 in Zurich.

Lachen $3,423
Zurich $4,270

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,210 in Lachen versus $6,666 in Zurich.

Lachen $5,210
Zurich $6,666

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,997 in Lachen versus $9,061 in Zurich.

Lachen $6,997
Zurich $9,061

Living in Lachen costs roughly 20% less than in Zurich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lachen 152% above, Zurich 214% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.82 CHF 27.21

$33.89 CHF 28.09

-3.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 CHF 98.4

$146 CHF 121

-18.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.19 CHF 13.42

$18.10 CHF 15.00

-10.55%

Cappuccino

$6.35 CHF 5.27

$6.88 CHF 5.70

-7.70%

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

$5.83 CHF 4.83

$5.73 CHF 4.75

1.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 CHF 4.20

$5.25 CHF 4.35

-3.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 CHF 6.90

$9.61 CHF 7.96

-13.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.35 CHF 7.75

$8.37 CHF 6.94

11.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.85

$2.11 CHF 1.75

5.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 CHF 2.71

$3.95 CHF 3.27

-17.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 CHF 3.60

$3.81 CHF 3.15

13.91%

Eggs

$7.60 CHF 6.30

$8.40 CHF 6.96

-9.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.92 CHF 22.32

$27.05 CHF 22.42

-0.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.91 CHF 21.48

$28.85 CHF 23.91

-10.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.57 CHF 33.62

$59.4 CHF 49.23

-31.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 CHF 2.97

$4.13 CHF 3.42

-13.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.69

$2.86 CHF 2.37

-28.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.15

$3.50 CHF 2.90

-25.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 CHF 4.00

$4.56 CHF 3.78

5.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.69

$2.55 CHF 2.11

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 CHF 1.80

$2.31 CHF 1.92

-6.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 CHF 1.95

$2.47 CHF 2.04

-4.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 CHF 1.18

$1.29 CHF 1.07

10.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.97 CHF 9.09

$11.04 CHF 9.15

-0.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.13 CHF 10.88

$14.00 CHF 11.60

-6.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 CHF 1.92

$2.88 CHF 2.39

-19.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 CHF 2.87

$3.18 CHF 2.63

8.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.39 CHF 3.64

$5.44 CHF 4.51

-19.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 CHF 85.0

$105 CHF 86.7

-1.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.85 CHF 6.50

$8.14 CHF 6.74

-3.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.92 CHF 4.08

$4.56 CHF 3.78

7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.3 CHF 72.4

$89.8 CHF 74.5

-2.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.80

$2.32 CHF 1.92

-6.47%

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

$38.3K CHF 31.8K

$38.9K CHF 32.2K

-1.35%

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

$39.0K CHF 32.3K

-0.10%

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

$237 CHF 197

$282 CHF 234

-15.93%

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

$32.20 CHF 26.69

$39.00 CHF 32.33

-17.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.7 CHF 54.4

$55.0 CHF 45.62

19.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.4 CHF 74.1

$84.6 CHF 70.1

5.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.79 CHF 37.96

$61.7 CHF 51.1

-25.77%

Cinema Ticket

$21.98 CHF 18.22

$24.31 CHF 20.15

-9.58%

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

$2,810 CHF 2,329

$3,444 CHF 2,855

-18.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.5K CHF 36.9K

$41.6K CHF 34.5K

7.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 113

$138 CHF 114

-0.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.5 CHF 71.7

$55.0 CHF 45.60

57.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 CHF 121

$159 CHF 132

-8.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 CHF 143

$249 CHF 207

-30.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 CHF 1,476

$2,878 CHF 2,385

-38.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 CHF 1,232

$2,143 CHF 1,776

-30.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,940 CHF 2,437

$5,559 CHF 4,608

-47.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 CHF 2,067

$4,003 CHF 3,318

-37.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.4K CHF 13.6K

$28.2K CHF 23.3K

-41.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.5K CHF 10.4K

$16.9K CHF 14.0K

-25.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,492 CHF 7,868

$8,230 CHF 6,821

15.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

2.09

-17.70%

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

Last update for Lachen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Zurich: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lachen

$1.5K 43.4%

Zurich

$2.1K 50.2% 44.2% $657

Groceries & Markets

Lachen

$581 17%

Zurich

$674 15.8% 16% $93

Eating Out

Lachen

$491 14.4%

Zurich

$517 12.1% 5.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lachen

$335 9.8%

Zurich

$376 8.8% 12.3% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Lachen

$244 7.1%

Zurich

$270 6.3% 11% $27

Getting Around

Lachen

$153 4.5%

Zurich

$157 3.7% 3.1% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Lachen

$133 3.9%

Zurich

$133 3.1% 0.1% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,781 in Lachen and $2,878 in Zurich. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $119 in Lachen vs $146 in Zurich for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $581 vs $674 per month, with Lachen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Lachen

🇨🇭 Zurich

🕒 Local time

12:57 12:57 PM

Same time as Lachen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,000

443,037

💱 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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Lachen Zurich 31 km

From you

Lachen
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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

Lachen vs Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lachen wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Zurich. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lachen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Lachen, 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: $1,781 in Lachen versus $2,878 in Zurich. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Zurich. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,423 per month in Lachen versus $4,270 in Zurich – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lachen and Zurich are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.