Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Interlaken

For one person, living costs are similar in Lausanne and in Interlaken: $3,716 and $3,832 a month, rent and utilities included.

181

Cost of Living Index in Lausanne
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Lausanne Living Index
187

Cost of Living Index in Interlaken
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Interlaken Living Index

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Lausanne

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,716

/mo nomad

Interlaken

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lausanne and in Interlaken

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,716 in Lausanne versus $3,832 in Interlaken.

Lausanne $3,716
Interlaken $3,832

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,694 in Lausanne versus $6,054 in Interlaken.

Lausanne $5,694
Interlaken $6,054

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,671 in Lausanne versus $8,276 in Interlaken.

Lausanne $7,671
Interlaken $8,276

Living in Lausanne costs roughly 3% less than in Interlaken, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 175% above, Interlaken 184% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.26 CHF 24.92

$30.08 CHF 24.77

0.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 CHF 94.9

$97.0 CHF 79.9

18.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.67 CHF 14.55

$18.32 CHF 15.09

-3.55%

Cappuccino

$6.17 CHF 5.08

$5.23 CHF 4.31

17.97%

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

$5.08 CHF 4.18

$5.33 CHF 4.39

-4.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 CHF 3.37

$3.56 CHF 2.93

14.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.38 CHF 8.55

$8.06 CHF 6.64

28.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 CHF 8.12

$5.25 CHF 4.32

87.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.84

$1.63 CHF 1.34

36.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 CHF 3.24

$3.50 CHF 2.88

12.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.69

$4.56 CHF 3.76

-28.51%

Eggs

$7.05 CHF 5.81

$7.36 CHF 6.06

-4.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.39 CHF 20.09

$31.48 CHF 25.93

-22.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.45 CHF 22.61

$29.83 CHF 24.56

-7.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.74 CHF 31.91

$42.38 CHF 34.90

-8.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 CHF 2.85

$3.93 CHF 3.23

-11.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 CHF 1.69

$1.57 CHF 1.30

30.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 2.01

$2.68 CHF 2.21

-8.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 CHF 3.77

$3.10 CHF 2.56

47.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 CHF 1.46

$1.33 CHF 1.10

33.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 CHF 1.64

$1.71 CHF 1.41

16.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 CHF 1.62

$2.13 CHF 1.75

-7.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.36

$1.20 CHF 0.99

38.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.57 CHF 8.71

$10.82 CHF 8.91

-2.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.01 CHF 12.36

$12.59 CHF 10.37

19.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 CHF 2.25

$2.20 CHF 1.81

24.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CHF 2.57

$3.81 CHF 3.14

-18.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 CHF 3.65

$4.09 CHF 3.37

8.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.8 CHF 76.5

$194 CHF 160

-52.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 CHF 6.55

$6.09 CHF 5.02

30.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.57 CHF 3.76

$6.04 CHF 4.97

-24.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.0 CHF 70.0

$60.7 CHF 50.0

40.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.87

$2.28 CHF 1.88

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

$42.3K CHF 34.9K

$42.6K CHF 35.1K

-0.67%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

$38.3K CHF 31.5K

3.50%

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

$292 CHF 240

$354 CHF 292

-17.58%

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

$36.21 CHF 29.82

$31.34 CHF 25.82

15.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 CHF 41.62

$71.3 CHF 58.8

-29.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.0 CHF 57.7

$97.2 CHF 80.1

-28.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.43 CHF 39.07

Cinema Ticket

$24.44 CHF 20.13

$27.83 CHF 22.92

-12.18%

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

$2,850 CHF 2,347

$3,585 CHF 2,953

-20.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.1K CHF 30.5K

$32.2K CHF 26.6K

14.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 117

$157 CHF 130

-9.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.7 CHF 64.0

$120 CHF 99.0

-35.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 CHF 114

$200 CHF 165

-31.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$214 CHF 176

$323 CHF 266

-33.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,256 CHF 1,858

$1,926 CHF 1,586

17.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 CHF 1,452

$1,571 CHF 1,294

12.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,291 CHF 3,534

$3,291 CHF 2,711

30.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,206 CHF 2,640

$3,373 CHF 2,778

-4.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 15.0K

$12.1K CHF 9,993

49.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.0K CHF 11.5K

$8,397 CHF 6,916

66.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,426 CHF 5,292

$7,431 CHF 6,120

-13.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

2.48

-21.37%

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

Last update for Lausanne: October 13, 2026

Last update for Interlaken: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lausanne

$1.8K 47.5%

Interlaken

$1.6K 41% 10.9% $192

Groceries & Markets

Lausanne

$579 15.6%

Interlaken

$599 15.6% 3.5% $20

Eating Out

Lausanne

$477 12.9%

Interlaken

$445 11.6% 6.8% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lausanne

$379 10.2%

Interlaken

$457 11.9% 20.7% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Lausanne

$257 6.9%

Interlaken

$360 9.4% 40% $103

Getting Around

Lausanne

$141 3.8%

Interlaken

$247 6.4% 74.7% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Lausanne

$119 3.2%

Interlaken

$153 4% 28.6% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,256 in Lausanne and $1,926 in Interlaken. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Interlaken pays 16% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $115 in Lausanne vs $97.0 in Interlaken. Groceries flip the comparison at $579 vs $599, with Lausanne cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Lausanne

🇨🇭 Interlaken

🕒 Local time

12:03 12:03 PM

Same time as Lausanne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

133,521

5,600

💱 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 Interlaken 95 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 Interlaken: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lausanne is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Interlaken. 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: $2,256 in Lausanne versus $1,926 in Interlaken. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,716 per month in Lausanne versus $3,832 in Interlaken – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lausanne runs roughly 109% less than in Interlaken. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lausanne is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Lausanne is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Interlaken, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lausanne and Interlaken 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 Lausanne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Interlaken. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.