Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Lachen Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Lachen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,563 in Lausanne versus $3,214 in Lachen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,620 in Lausanne versus $5,008 in Lachen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,677 in Lausanne versus $6,801 in Lachen.

Living in Lausanne is roughly 11% more expensive than in Lachen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 167% above, Lachen 141% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.01 CHF 26.99

$30.40 CHF 24.86

8.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 121

$151 CHF 123

-1.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.84 CHF 15.41

$18.48 CHF 15.11

1.95%

Cappuccino

$5.85 CHF 4.79

$6.17 CHF 5.05

-5.19%

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

$5.35 CHF 4.38

$5.92 CHF 4.84

-9.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 CHF 3.93

$5.38 CHF 4.40

-10.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.64 CHF 7.88

$7.39 CHF 6.05

30.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.51 CHF 6.96

$6.96 CHF 5.69

22.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.78

$2.22 CHF 1.82

-1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 CHF 3.44

$2.60 CHF 2.12

61.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 CHF 3.53

$2.40 CHF 1.96

80.00%

Eggs

$7.24 CHF 5.92

$7.88 CHF 6.44

-8.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.30 CHF 21.50

$27.48 CHF 22.47

-4.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.79 CHF 23.54

$14.87 CHF 12.16

93.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$53.5 CHF 43.74

$41.81 CHF 34.19

27.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 CHF 3.05

$3.12 CHF 2.55

19.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 CHF 1.78

$1.90 CHF 1.56

14.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.38

$2.52 CHF 2.06

15.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.62 CHF 5.41

$4.89 CHF 4.00

35.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 2.00

$2.52 CHF 2.06

-3.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.97

$2.38 CHF 1.94

1.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CHF 2.14

$2.57 CHF 2.10

1.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 CHF 1.14

$1.10 CHF 0.90

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 CHF 8.95

$10.76 CHF 8.80

1.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.85 CHF 12.96

$13.37 CHF 10.94

18.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 CHF 1.67

$2.26 CHF 1.85

-9.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CHF 2.62

$2.27 CHF 1.86

40.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.86 CHF 3.97

$3.79 CHF 3.10

28.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.5 CHF 78.1

$99.5 CHF 81.4

-4.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.82 CHF 6.39

$6.88 CHF 5.63

13.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.39 CHF 2.77

$4.22 CHF 3.45

-19.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.5 CHF 53.6

$78.7 CHF 64.3

-16.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.75

$2.11 CHF 1.73

0.95%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

$41.0K CHF 33.5K

0.33%

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

$41.8K CHF 34.2K

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

1.78%

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

$327 CHF 267

$122 CHF 100

166.92%

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

$50.2 CHF 41.06

$58.5 CHF 47.83

-14.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 CHF 47.66

$52.3 CHF 42.73

11.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.0 CHF 63.8

$87.3 CHF 71.4

-10.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.32 CHF 39.51

Cinema Ticket

$26.86 CHF 21.97

$22.44 CHF 18.35

19.70%

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

$2,764 CHF 2,260

$2,872 CHF 2,348

-3.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 28.3K

0.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CHF 87.7

$121 CHF 99.3

-11.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.7 CHF 56.2

$64.4 CHF 52.7

6.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 CHF 123

$158 CHF 129

-4.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 CHF 152

$233 CHF 191

-20.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 CHF 1,539

$1,727 CHF 1,412

9.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 CHF 1,178

$1,462 CHF 1,195

-1.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 CHF 2,975

$2,804 CHF 2,293

29.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,977 CHF 2,435

$2,466 CHF 2,016

20.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.5K CHF 15.1K

$16.0K CHF 13.1K

15.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.3K CHF 11.7K

$12.5K CHF 10.2K

14.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,398 CHF 5,232

$9,975 CHF 8,157

-35.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

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

Last update for Lausanne: July 19, 2026

Last update for Lachen: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,882 in Lausanne and $1,727 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 56% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $148 in Lausanne vs $151 in Lachen. Groceries flip the comparison at $657 vs $511, with Lachen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Lachen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lachen wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Lausanne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lachen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 56% lower in Lachen. 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: $1,882 in Lausanne versus $1,727 in Lachen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lachen runs roughly 4% less than in Lausanne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,764 in Lausanne versus $2,872 in Lachen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Lachen 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 Lachen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,214 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lachen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lausanne and Lachen 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 Lachen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.