Cost of Living Comparison Between Lachen and Zurich Cost of Living Comparison Between Lachen and Zurich

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,214 in Lachen versus $4,229 in Zurich.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,008 in Lachen versus $6,508 in Zurich.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,801 in Lachen versus $8,786 in Zurich.

Living in Lachen costs roughly 24% less than in Zurich, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lachen 141% above, Zurich 217% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.40 CHF 24.86

$31.02 CHF 25.36

-2.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$151 CHF 123

$146 CHF 119

3.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.48 CHF 15.11

$20.79 CHF 17.00

-11.11%

Cappuccino

$6.17 CHF 5.05

$6.71 CHF 5.48

-8.05%

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

$5.92 CHF 4.84

$6.13 CHF 5.01

-3.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 CHF 4.40

$5.29 CHF 4.33

1.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.39 CHF 6.05

$10.00 CHF 8.18

-26.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 CHF 5.69

$8.65 CHF 7.07

-19.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.82

$2.26 CHF 1.85

-1.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 CHF 2.12

$3.41 CHF 2.79

-23.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.96

$3.92 CHF 3.20

-38.78%

Eggs

$7.88 CHF 6.44

$7.54 CHF 6.17

4.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.48 CHF 22.47

$29.54 CHF 24.16

-6.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.87 CHF 12.16

$33.89 CHF 27.71

-56.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.81 CHF 34.19

$50.2 CHF 41.02

-16.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 CHF 2.55

$4.15 CHF 3.39

-24.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 CHF 1.56

$2.83 CHF 2.32

-32.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.06

$3.02 CHF 2.47

-16.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 CHF 4.00

$5.04 CHF 4.12

-2.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.06

$2.74 CHF 2.24

-8.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 CHF 1.94

$2.30 CHF 1.88

3.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CHF 2.10

$2.45 CHF 2.00

4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 CHF 0.90

$1.66 CHF 1.36

-33.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.76 CHF 8.80

$11.12 CHF 9.09

-3.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.37 CHF 10.94

$13.75 CHF 11.25

-2.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 CHF 1.85

$2.74 CHF 2.24

-17.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 CHF 1.86

$3.31 CHF 2.71

-31.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 CHF 3.10

$4.84 CHF 3.96

-21.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.5 CHF 81.4

$109 CHF 89.4

-8.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.88 CHF 5.63

$7.64 CHF 6.25

-9.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.22 CHF 3.45

$4.11 CHF 3.36

2.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$78.7 CHF 64.3

$87.4 CHF 71.4

-9.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 CHF 1.73

$2.25 CHF 1.84

-6.22%

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

$41.0K CHF 33.5K

$40.3K CHF 33.0K

1.65%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

$38.8K CHF 31.7K

5.90%

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

$122 CHF 100

$255 CHF 209

-51.98%

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

$58.5 CHF 47.83

$35.92 CHF 29.37

62.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 CHF 42.73

$59.7 CHF 48.83

-12.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.3 CHF 71.4

$89.3 CHF 73.0

-2.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.5 CHF 41.29

Cinema Ticket

$22.44 CHF 18.35

$24.36 CHF 19.92

-7.88%

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

$2,872 CHF 2,348

$3,397 CHF 2,778

-15.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 28.3K

$39.5K CHF 32.3K

-12.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$121 CHF 99.3

$142 CHF 116

-14.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.4 CHF 52.7

$60.7 CHF 49.60

6.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$158 CHF 129

$149 CHF 121

6.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 CHF 191

$201 CHF 165

15.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,727 CHF 1,412

$2,698 CHF 2,206

-36.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 CHF 1,195

$2,208 CHF 1,805

-33.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 CHF 2,293

$4,893 CHF 4,001

-42.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,466 CHF 2,016

$3,760 CHF 3,074

-34.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.0K CHF 13.1K

$26.8K CHF 21.9K

-40.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.5K CHF 10.2K

$16.7K CHF 13.7K

-25.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,975 CHF 8,157

$8,316 CHF 6,800

19.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

2.09

19.62%

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

Last update for Lachen: July 22, 2026

Last update for Zurich: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,727 in Lachen and $2,698 in Zurich. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $151 in Lachen vs $146 in Zurich. Groceries flip the comparison at $511 vs $677, with Lachen cheaper for home cooking.

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 32% 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 20% 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: $1,727 in Lachen versus $2,698 in Zurich. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lachen runs roughly 10% less than in Zurich. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,872 in Lachen versus $3,397 in Zurich. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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 work as nomad bases, but Lachen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,214 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lachen hard to pass up.

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.

Expats usually find Lachen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.