Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Acquarossa Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Acquarossa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,824 in Lausanne versus $3,649 in Acquarossa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,908 in Lausanne versus $5,668 in Acquarossa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,993 in Lausanne versus $7,686 in Acquarossa.

Living in Lausanne is roughly 5% more expensive than in Acquarossa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 178% above, Acquarossa 166% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.49 CHF 25.61

$36.74 CHF 29.87

-14.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 CHF 96.7

$147 CHF 120

-19.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.27 CHF 15.67

$18.75 CHF 15.24

2.77%

Cappuccino

$6.32 CHF 5.14

$7.29 CHF 5.93

-13.31%

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

$5.28 CHF 4.30

$6.06 CHF 4.93

-12.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 CHF 3.32

$5.54 CHF 4.51

-26.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.47 CHF 8.51

$10.01 CHF 8.14

4.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.93 CHF 8.07

$8.60 CHF 6.99

15.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.86

$2.17 CHF 1.76

5.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.97 CHF 3.23

$3.90 CHF 3.17

1.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 CHF 2.66

$3.82 CHF 3.11

-14.14%

Eggs

$7.55 CHF 6.14

$8.84 CHF 7.19

-14.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.73 CHF 20.10

$27.55 CHF 22.40

-10.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.61 CHF 23.26

$27.86 CHF 22.65

2.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.20 CHF 32.68

$62.2 CHF 50.6

-35.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 2.99

$4.18 CHF 3.40

-11.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.71

$2.93 CHF 2.39

-28.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 2.06

$3.60 CHF 2.93

-29.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 CHF 3.70

$4.89 CHF 3.98

-6.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 CHF 1.48

$2.60 CHF 2.11

-30.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 CHF 1.61

$2.29 CHF 1.86

-13.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 CHF 1.65

$2.51 CHF 2.04

-19.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 CHF 1.46

$1.28 CHF 1.04

40.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.19 CHF 9.10

$11.14 CHF 9.06

0.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.68 CHF 12.75

$13.65 CHF 11.09

14.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CHF 2.19

$2.78 CHF 2.26

-3.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 CHF 2.62

$3.27 CHF 2.66

-1.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 CHF 3.70

$4.13 CHF 3.35

10.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.5 CHF 79.2

$116 CHF 94.3

-15.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.82 CHF 6.36

$8.11 CHF 6.59

-3.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.74 CHF 3.85

$4.58 CHF 3.72

3.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.4 CHF 71.9

$90.6 CHF 73.7

-2.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 CHF 1.92

$2.31 CHF 1.88

2.16%

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

$44.6K CHF 36.3K

$39.9K CHF 32.4K

11.90%

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

$40.1K CHF 32.6K

$41.0K CHF 33.3K

-2.12%

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

$305 CHF 248

$291 CHF 237

4.73%

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

$38.30 CHF 31.14

$39.55 CHF 32.16

-3.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 CHF 41.91

$57.5 CHF 46.77

-10.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.1 CHF 60.3

$82.0 CHF 66.7

-9.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.8 CHF 41.27

$40.73 CHF 33.12

24.63%

Cinema Ticket

$24.97 CHF 20.30

$25.17 CHF 20.47

-0.79%

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

$3,045 CHF 2,476

$3,674 CHF 2,987

-17.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$38.2K CHF 31.1K

$44.0K CHF 35.8K

-13.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$144 CHF 117

$145 CHF 118

-0.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.9 CHF 63.4

$61.3 CHF 49.79

27.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 CHF 114

$170 CHF 138

-17.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$224 CHF 182

$266 CHF 216

-15.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,339 CHF 1,901

$1,757 CHF 1,429

33.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 CHF 1,485

$1,279 CHF 1,040

42.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,456 CHF 3,623

$2,757 CHF 2,242

61.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,317 CHF 2,696

$2,475 CHF 2,012

33.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.5K CHF 15.0K

$17.5K CHF 14.2K

5.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.4K CHF 11.7K

$12.0K CHF 9,755

20.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,938 CHF 5,640

$12.4K CHF 10.1K

-44.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

2.07

-5.80%

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

Last update for Lausanne: August 30, 2026

Last update for Acquarossa: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,339 in Lausanne and $1,757 in Acquarossa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acquarossa pays 79% 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 Lausanne vs $147 in Acquarossa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $598 vs $683 per month, with Lausanne cheaper across the board.

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 Acquarossa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lausanne and Acquarossa differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($3,824 vs $3,649 including rent). Acquarossa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 79% lower in Acquarossa. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,339 in Lausanne versus $1,757 in Acquarossa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lausanne pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Acquarossa – a meal for two runs $147 versus $119 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Acquarossa 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 Acquarossa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,649 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Acquarossa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lausanne and Acquarossa 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 Acquarossa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.