Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Dubendorf

For one person, living costs are similar in Lausanne and in Dubendorf: $3,832 and $3,771 a month, rent and utilities included.

184

Cost of Living Index in Lausanne
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Lausanne Living Index
179

Cost of Living Index in Dubendorf
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Dubendorf Living Index

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Lausanne

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,832

/mo nomad

Dubendorf

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lausanne and in Dubendorf

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 Dubendorf actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,832 in Lausanne versus $3,771 in Dubendorf.

Lausanne $3,832
Dubendorf $3,771

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,808 in Lausanne versus $5,573 in Dubendorf.

Lausanne $5,808
Dubendorf $5,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,784 in Lausanne versus $7,375 in Dubendorf.

Lausanne $7,784
Dubendorf $7,375

Monthly costs are close between Lausanne and Dubendorf; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 183% above, Dubendorf 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.02 CHF 24.55

$30.36 CHF 24.83

-1.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$116 CHF 95.1

$122 CHF 99.5

-4.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.37 CHF 15.02

$16.64 CHF 13.61

10.40%

Cappuccino

$6.17 CHF 5.05

$5.93 CHF 4.85

4.05%

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

$4.94 CHF 4.04

$5.48 CHF 4.48

-9.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 CHF 3.31

$4.92 CHF 4.02

-17.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.43 CHF 8.53

$8.44 CHF 6.90

23.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.92 CHF 8.11

$6.55 CHF 5.36

51.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.81

$2.23 CHF 1.82

-0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.93 CHF 3.22

$3.83 CHF 3.13

2.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 CHF 2.68

$4.51 CHF 3.69

-27.27%

Eggs

$7.35 CHF 6.01

$7.09 CHF 5.80

3.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.00 CHF 20.45

$32.14 CHF 26.29

-22.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.00 CHF 22.90

$25.90 CHF 21.18

8.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.86 CHF 32.60

$42.48 CHF 34.75

-6.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 CHF 3.02

$3.46 CHF 2.83

6.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.75

$2.11 CHF 1.72

1.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 CHF 2.03

$3.17 CHF 2.59

-21.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 CHF 3.75

$6.74 CHF 5.51

-32.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 CHF 1.49

$2.29 CHF 1.87

-20.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.67

$2.28 CHF 1.86

-10.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 CHF 1.65

$2.37 CHF 1.94

-14.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 CHF 1.44

$1.39 CHF 1.14

26.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.10 CHF 9.08

$11.16 CHF 9.13

-0.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 CHF 12.48

$13.32 CHF 10.89

14.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 CHF 2.19

$2.80 CHF 2.29

-4.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 CHF 2.69

$3.09 CHF 2.53

6.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.83 CHF 3.95

$2.46 CHF 2.02

96.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.1 CHF 79.4

$48.17 CHF 39.40

101.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 CHF 6.61

$4.46 CHF 3.65

81.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.67 CHF 3.82

$3.01 CHF 2.46

55.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.7 CHF 70.1

$61.0 CHF 49.86

40.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.90

$2.29 CHF 1.87

1.31%

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

$38.7K CHF 31.6K

$39.3K CHF 32.2K

-1.68%

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

$39.0K CHF 31.9K

$39.3K CHF 32.1K

-0.69%

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

$294 CHF 240

$235 CHF 192

24.87%

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

$37.95 CHF 31.04

$29.24 CHF 23.92

29.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 CHF 43.47

$67.4 CHF 55.2

-21.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 CHF 60.4

$120 CHF 98.4

-38.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.25 CHF 39.47

$79.2 CHF 64.8

-39.09%

Cinema Ticket

$24.47 CHF 20.01

$24.07 CHF 19.69

1.66%

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

$2,912 CHF 2,382

$1,514 CHF 1,238

92.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.3K CHF 35.4K

$25.2K CHF 20.6K

71.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$144 CHF 118

$139 CHF 114

3.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.2 CHF 64.8

$89.7 CHF 73.4

-11.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 CHF 115

$146 CHF 119

-4.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$221 CHF 181

$175 CHF 143

26.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 CHF 2,000

$1,827 CHF 1,495

33.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 CHF 1,509

$1,864 CHF 1,525

-1.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,324 CHF 3,536

$2,872 CHF 2,349

50.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,239 CHF 2,649

$2,880 CHF 2,355

12.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.6K CHF 15.2K

$12.4K CHF 10.1K

50.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.8K CHF 11.3K

$7,387 CHF 6,042

86.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,545 CHF 5,353

$3,876 CHF 3,171

68.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

2.36

-17.37%

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

Last update for Lausanne: November 2, 2026

Last update for Dubendorf: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lausanne

$1.8K 48.1%

Dubendorf

$1.9K 49.4% 1.1% $20

Groceries & Markets

Lausanne

$592 15.5%

Dubendorf

$621 16.5% 4.9% $29

Eating Out

Lausanne

$477 12.5%

Dubendorf

$461 12.2% 3.4% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lausanne

$385 10%

Dubendorf

$332 8.8% 13.8% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Lausanne

$263 6.9%

Dubendorf

$247 6.6% 6% $16

Getting Around

Lausanne

$148 3.9%

Dubendorf

$78 2.1% 47.5% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Lausanne

$123 3.2%

Dubendorf

$168 4.5% 37.2% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Lausanne and $1,827 in Dubendorf. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lausanne pays 69% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $116 in Lausanne vs $122 in Dubendorf for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $592 vs $621 per month, with Lausanne cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Lausanne

🇨🇭 Dubendorf

🕒 Local time

06:07 6:07 AM

Same time as Lausanne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

133,521

26,759

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Lausanne Dubendorf 180 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 Dubendorf: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 69% higher in Lausanne, 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: $2,445 in Lausanne versus $1,827 in Dubendorf. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dubendorf runs roughly 50% less than in Lausanne. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Shoppers in Lausanne pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Dubendorf 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, Lausanne and Dubendorf are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Dubendorf wins on affordability, Lausanne on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.