Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Aarau

For one person, living is cheaper in Aarau: $2,794 a month against $3,716 in Lausanne, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

181

Cost of Living Index in Lausanne
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Lausanne Living Index
135

Cost of Living Index in Aarau
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Aarau Living Index

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Lausanne

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,716

/mo nomad

Aarau

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lausanne and in Aarau

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

A single person spends $3,716 per month in Lausanne vs $2,794 in Aarau, rent included.

Lausanne $3,716
Aarau $2,794

A couple spends around $5,694 per month in Lausanne vs $4,568 in Aarau, rent included.

Lausanne $5,694
Aarau $4,568

A family of three spends $7,671 per month in Lausanne vs $6,342 in Aarau, rent included.

Lausanne $7,671
Aarau $6,342

Lausanne costs about 33% more than Aarau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lausanne and Aarau sit above the global median – Lausanne by 175%, Aarau by 107%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.26 CHF 24.92

$29.07 CHF 23.94

4.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 CHF 94.9

$106 CHF 87.6

8.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.67 CHF 14.55

$17.63 CHF 14.52

0.23%

Cappuccino

$6.17 CHF 5.08

$5.80 CHF 4.78

6.38%

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

$5.08 CHF 4.18

$5.22 CHF 4.30

-2.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 CHF 3.37

$4.70 CHF 3.87

-12.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.38 CHF 8.55

$6.15 CHF 5.06

68.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 CHF 8.12

$6.60 CHF 5.44

49.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.84

$2.05 CHF 1.69

8.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 CHF 3.24

$3.62 CHF 2.98

8.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.69

$2.59 CHF 2.13

25.87%

Eggs

$7.05 CHF 5.81

$7.22 CHF 5.95

-2.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.39 CHF 20.09

$30.30 CHF 24.96

-19.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.45 CHF 22.61

$29.34 CHF 24.16

-6.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.74 CHF 31.91

$40.30 CHF 33.19

-3.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 CHF 2.85

$2.89 CHF 2.38

20.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 CHF 1.69

$1.78 CHF 1.46

15.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 2.01

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 CHF 3.77

$5.50 CHF 4.53

-16.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 CHF 1.46

$1.66 CHF 1.37

6.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 CHF 1.64

$1.96 CHF 1.61

1.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 CHF 1.62

$2.28 CHF 1.87

-13.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.36

$1.19 CHF 0.98

39.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.57 CHF 8.71

$10.86 CHF 8.94

-2.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.01 CHF 12.36

$10.21 CHF 8.41

47.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 CHF 2.25

$2.49 CHF 2.05

10.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CHF 2.57

$2.86 CHF 2.36

9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 CHF 3.65

$5.11 CHF 4.20

-13.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.8 CHF 76.5

$146 CHF 120

-36.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 CHF 6.55

$6.84 CHF 5.64

16.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.57 CHF 3.76

$3.32 CHF 2.74

37.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.0 CHF 70.0

$58.8 CHF 48.45

44.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.87

$2.22 CHF 1.83

2.70%

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

$42.3K CHF 34.9K

$42.9K CHF 35.4K

-1.35%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

0.82%

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

$292 CHF 240

$120 CHF 98.9

143.11%

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

$36.21 CHF 29.82

$30.84 CHF 25.40

17.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 CHF 41.62

$55.7 CHF 45.84

-9.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.0 CHF 57.7

$97.9 CHF 80.6

-28.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.43 CHF 39.07

$59.6 CHF 49.04

-20.35%

Cinema Ticket

$24.44 CHF 20.13

$21.42 CHF 17.64

14.10%

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

$2,850 CHF 2,347

$3,152 CHF 2,596

-9.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.1K CHF 30.5K

$32.4K CHF 26.7K

14.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 117

$88.7 CHF 73.0

60.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.7 CHF 64.0

$70.6 CHF 58.2

10.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 CHF 114

$109 CHF 90.1

26.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$214 CHF 176

$169 CHF 140

26.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,256 CHF 1,858

$1,277 CHF 1,052

76.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 CHF 1,452

$1,033 CHF 851

70.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,291 CHF 3,534

$2,290 CHF 1,886

87.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,206 CHF 2,640

$2,114 CHF 1,742

51.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 15.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.0K CHF 11.5K

$11.8K CHF 9,759

17.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,426 CHF 5,292

$6,801 CHF 5,601

-5.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

2.31

-15.58%

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

Last update for Lausanne: October 13, 2026

Last update for Aarau: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lausanne

$1.8K 47.5%

Aarau

$1K 37% 41.4% $730

Groceries & Markets

Lausanne

$579 15.6%

Aarau

$588 21% 1.5% $8.9

Eating Out

Lausanne

$477 12.9%

Aarau

$439 15.7% 8.1% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lausanne

$379 10.2%

Aarau

$207 7.4% 45.5% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Lausanne

$257 6.9%

Aarau

$197 7.1% 23.4% $60

Getting Around

Lausanne

$141 3.8%

Aarau

$190 6.8% 34.4% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Lausanne

$119 3.2%

Aarau

$141 5% 18.4% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,256 in Lausanne versus $1,277 in Aarau. 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 6% higher in Aarau, 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 $115 in Lausanne versus $106 in Aarau. Groceries tell a different story – $579 in Lausanne vs $588 in Aarau – so Lausanne wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Lausanne

🇨🇭 Aarau

🕒 Local time

02:15 2:15 AM

Same time as Lausanne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

133,521

21,191

💱 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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Lausanne Aarau 140 km

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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

Lausanne vs Aarau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lausanne costs about 33% more than Aarau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,574 per month in Lausanne and $4,191 in Aarau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aarau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Aarau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,850 per month in Lausanne and $3,152 in Aarau. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,716 in Lausanne and $2,794 in Aarau. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aarau costs $2,794 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 Aarau. 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.