Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and La Chaux-de-Fonds Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and La Chaux-de-Fonds

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,565 per month in Lausanne vs $3,143 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,676 per month in Lausanne vs $4,986 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,788 per month in Lausanne vs $6,828 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, rent included.

Lausanne costs about 13% more than La Chaux-de-Fonds, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Lausanne and La Chaux-de-Fonds sit above the global median – Lausanne by 166%, La Chaux-de-Fonds by 135%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.84 CHF 25.89

$24.98 CHF 19.69

31.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$145 CHF 114

$85.0 CHF 67.0

70.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.73 CHF 14.77

$18.29 CHF 14.42

2.41%

Cappuccino

$6.07 CHF 4.79

$4.60 CHF 3.63

31.96%

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

$5.59 CHF 4.41

$3.62 CHF 2.86

54.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 CHF 3.71

$4.58 CHF 3.61

2.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.64 CHF 7.60

$7.33 CHF 5.78

31.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.41 CHF 6.63

$6.13 CHF 4.83

37.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.73

$2.30 CHF 1.82

-4.78%

White Bread (500g)

$4.17 CHF 3.29

$3.79 CHF 2.99

10.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 CHF 3.53

$4.32 CHF 3.41

3.70%

Eggs

$7.01 CHF 5.52

$7.38 CHF 5.82

-5.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.22 CHF 20.67

$27.39 CHF 21.59

-4.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.78 CHF 22.69

$33.78 CHF 26.63

-14.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$52.0 CHF 40.97

$53.0 CHF 41.75

-1.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 CHF 2.84

$3.53 CHF 2.79

1.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 CHF 1.73

$2.46 CHF 1.94

-10.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.32

$3.08 CHF 2.43

-4.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.43 CHF 5.07

$6.21 CHF 4.90

3.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$2.57 CHF 2.02

-2.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 CHF 1.85

$2.39 CHF 1.89

-1.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 1.96

$2.59 CHF 2.04

-3.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CHF 1.09

$1.33 CHF 1.05

4.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.93 CHF 8.62

$10.97 CHF 8.65

-0.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 CHF 12.70

$12.50 CHF 9.86

28.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 CHF 1.59

$2.40 CHF 1.89

-16.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CHF 2.52

$3.74 CHF 2.95

-14.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.74 CHF 3.73

$3.10 CHF 2.44

52.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.6 CHF 77.0

$158 CHF 125

-38.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.98 CHF 6.29

$7.52 CHF 5.93

6.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 CHF 2.57

$3.64 CHF 2.87

-10.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.6 CHF 53.3

$65.5 CHF 51.7

3.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$2.20 CHF 1.73

-2.27%

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

$41.1K CHF 32.4K

$41.2K CHF 32.5K

-0.32%

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

$41.7K CHF 32.9K

$48.4K CHF 38.2K

-13.84%

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

$322 CHF 254

$257 CHF 203

25.28%

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

$50.3 CHF 39.66

$48.20 CHF 38.00

4.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 CHF 45.42

$63.5 CHF 50.1

-9.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 CHF 59.9

$77.1 CHF 60.8

-1.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.71 CHF 37.61

Cinema Ticket

$26.56 CHF 20.94

$24.58 CHF 19.38

8.06%

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

$2,763 CHF 2,178

$3,131 CHF 2,469

-11.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K CHF 27.1K

$20.9K CHF 16.5K

64.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 CHF 86.9

$138 CHF 109

-20.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.2 CHF 55.4

$79.0 CHF 62.3

-11.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 117

$160 CHF 127

-7.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 146

$211 CHF 166

-12.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CHF 1,446

$1,460 CHF 1,151

25.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 CHF 1,172

$1,104 CHF 870

34.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,523 CHF 2,777

$3,903 CHF 3,077

-9.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,944 CHF 2,321

$2,381 CHF 1,877

23.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.6K CHF 15.4K

$13.1K CHF 10.4K

48.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.4K CHF 11.4K

$9,930 CHF 7,829

45.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,571 CHF 5,969

$5,383 CHF 4,244

40.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

2.46

1.63%

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

Last update for Lausanne: June 2, 2026

Last update for La Chaux-de-Fonds: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,834 in Lausanne versus $1,460 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. 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 41% higher in Lausanne, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $145 in Lausanne versus $85.0 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Groceries tell a different story – $651 in Lausanne vs $677 in La Chaux-de-Fonds – so Lausanne wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 La Chaux-de-Fonds: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lausanne costs about 13% more than La Chaux-de-Fonds, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,347 per month in Lausanne and $4,715 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $145 in Lausanne and $85.0 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,565 in Lausanne and $3,143 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,565 in Lausanne and $3,143 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. La Chaux-de-Fonds costs $3,143 versus $3,565 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 La Chaux-de-Fonds. 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.