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 $3,900 per month in Lausanne vs $3,063 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,943 per month in Lausanne vs $4,852 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,986 per month in Lausanne vs $6,641 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, rent included.

Lausanne costs about 27% 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 183%, La Chaux-de-Fonds by 122%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.85 CHF 25.19

$24.87 CHF 20.31

24.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 CHF 98.0

$85.2 CHF 69.6

40.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.94 CHF 15.46

$18.84 CHF 15.39

0.53%

Cappuccino

$6.21 CHF 5.07

$4.72 CHF 3.86

31.57%

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

$5.26 CHF 4.30

$3.74 CHF 3.06

40.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 CHF 3.53

$4.73 CHF 3.87

-8.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.68 CHF 8.72

$7.39 CHF 6.04

44.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.99 CHF 8.16

$6.05 CHF 4.94

65.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

$2.26 CHF 1.85

-0.44%

White Bread (500g)

$4.07 CHF 3.32

$3.21 CHF 2.62

26.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 CHF 2.71

$3.26 CHF 2.66

1.84%

Eggs

$7.13 CHF 5.83

$7.97 CHF 6.51

-10.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.97 CHF 20.39

$26.29 CHF 21.47

-5.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.48 CHF 23.26

$27.42 CHF 22.39

3.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.00 CHF 32.67

$42.24 CHF 34.50

-5.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 CHF 3.04

$3.58 CHF 2.92

4.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 CHF 1.77

$2.32 CHF 1.89

-6.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 CHF 2.14

$3.02 CHF 2.47

-13.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 CHF 3.88

$4.82 CHF 3.93

-1.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 CHF 1.48

$1.76 CHF 1.44

2.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 CHF 1.62

$2.03 CHF 1.66

-1.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 CHF 1.68

$2.30 CHF 1.88

-10.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 CHF 1.40

$1.65 CHF 1.34

3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.90 CHF 8.90

$11.24 CHF 9.18

-3.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.21 CHF 12.42

$12.13 CHF 9.90

25.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 CHF 2.23

$2.49 CHF 2.03

10.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 CHF 2.72

$3.04 CHF 2.48

9.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 CHF 3.72

$4.40 CHF 3.59

3.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.4 CHF 77.9

$100.0 CHF 81.6

-4.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.80 CHF 6.37

$8.14 CHF 6.64

-4.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.71 CHF 3.85

$4.80 CHF 3.92

-1.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.7 CHF 70.0

$86.9 CHF 71.0

-1.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.86

$2.26 CHF 1.85

0.44%

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

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

$44.7K CHF 36.5K

-1.13%

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

$40.0K CHF 32.7K

$40.3K CHF 32.9K

-0.76%

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

$295 CHF 241

$298 CHF 244

-1.28%

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

$37.56 CHF 30.67

$54.2 CHF 44.25

-30.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 CHF 41.80

$66.1 CHF 54.0

-22.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.5 CHF 59.2

$76.4 CHF 62.4

-5.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.4 CHF 41.17

$44.09 CHF 36.00

14.36%

Cinema Ticket

$24.31 CHF 19.85

$23.35 CHF 19.07

4.11%

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

$3,018 CHF 2,465

$2,984 CHF 2,437

1.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.2K CHF 30.4K

$20.6K CHF 16.8K

80.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 119

$146 CHF 119

-0.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.1 CHF 63.8

$80.7 CHF 65.9

-3.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 CHF 118

$166 CHF 136

-12.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$217 CHF 177

$204 CHF 167

6.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,280 CHF 1,862

$1,483 CHF 1,211

53.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,848 CHF 1,509

$1,105 CHF 902

67.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,387 CHF 3,582

$4,017 CHF 3,280

9.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,275 CHF 2,674

$2,413 CHF 1,970

35.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.8K CHF 15.3K

$17.0K CHF 13.9K

10.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

$11.5K CHF 9,350

26.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,014 CHF 5,728

$5,259 CHF 4,294

33.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

2.43

-19.75%

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

Last update for Lausanne: September 6, 2026

Last update for La Chaux-de-Fonds: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,280 in Lausanne versus $1,483 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 33% 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 $120 in Lausanne versus $85.0 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $597 vs $591 – making La Chaux-de-Fonds the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 27% 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 $5,850 per month in Lausanne and $4,595 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 $120 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 $3,900 in Lausanne and $3,063 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 $3,900 in Lausanne and $3,063 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 $3,063 versus $3,900 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.