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: $3,497 in Lausanne versus $3,260 in Lachen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,694 in Lausanne versus $4,998 in Lachen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,890 in Lausanne versus $6,737 in Lachen.

Living in Lausanne is roughly 7% more expensive than Lachen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 161% above, Lachen 143% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.20 CHF 26.03

$30.65 CHF 24.03

8.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 116

$149 CHF 117

-0.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.38 CHF 15.19

$18.42 CHF 14.44

5.21%

Cappuccino

$5.99 CHF 4.69

$6.43 CHF 5.04

-6.84%

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

$5.58 CHF 4.38

$5.85 CHF 4.58

-4.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 CHF 3.79

$5.17 CHF 4.05

-6.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.03 CHF 7.87

$7.59 CHF 5.95

32.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.43 CHF 6.61

$7.17 CHF 5.62

17.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.70

$2.21 CHF 1.73

-1.81%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 CHF 3.22

$2.57 CHF 2.01

59.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 CHF 3.49

$2.50 CHF 1.96

78.00%

Eggs

$7.27 CHF 5.70

$8.17 CHF 6.41

-11.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.33 CHF 20.64

$27.43 CHF 21.50

-4.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.92 CHF 22.67

$14.67 CHF 11.50

97.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$52.0 CHF 40.77

$41.08 CHF 32.20

26.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 CHF 2.97

$3.17 CHF 2.49

19.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.65

$1.88 CHF 1.48

11.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.26

$2.49 CHF 1.95

16.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.68 CHF 5.23

$5.07 CHF 3.98

31.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 CHF 2.00

$2.49 CHF 1.95

2.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 CHF 1.84

$2.26 CHF 1.77

3.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CHF 2.04

$2.48 CHF 1.95

4.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CHF 1.09

$1.14 CHF 0.89

21.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CHF 8.72

$10.74 CHF 8.42

3.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 CHF 12.36

$11.78 CHF 9.23

33.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 CHF 1.61

$2.19 CHF 1.72

-6.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 CHF 2.49

$2.31 CHF 1.81

37.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.72 CHF 3.70

$3.88 CHF 3.04

21.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.3 CHF 76.3

$99.2 CHF 77.8

-1.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.82 CHF 6.13

$6.86 CHF 5.38

13.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.41 CHF 2.67

$4.15 CHF 3.25

-17.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.8 CHF 53.1

$79.2 CHF 62.1

-14.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.76

$2.20 CHF 1.72

1.82%

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

$40.8K CHF 32.0K

$39.8K CHF 31.2K

2.43%

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

$41.6K CHF 32.6K

$40.9K CHF 32.0K

1.83%

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

$330 CHF 259

$122 CHF 95.4

171.11%

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

$49.88 CHF 39.11

$60.3 CHF 47.26

-17.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 CHF 45.44

$54.2 CHF 42.50

6.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.1 CHF 59.7

$89.6 CHF 70.3

-15.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.53 CHF 37.26

Cinema Ticket

$26.14 CHF 20.50

$22.05 CHF 17.29

18.55%

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

$2,812 CHF 2,205

$2,857 CHF 2,240

-1.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.5K CHF 27.1K

$34.8K CHF 27.3K

-0.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 CHF 86.2

$124 CHF 97.4

-11.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.9 CHF 54.0

$64.8 CHF 50.8

6.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 CHF 118

$154 CHF 121

-2.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 CHF 147

$236 CHF 185

-20.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,853 CHF 1,453

$1,712 CHF 1,342

8.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 CHF 1,173

$1,455 CHF 1,141

2.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,576 CHF 2,803

$2,836 CHF 2,224

26.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,917 CHF 2,287

$2,419 CHF 1,897

20.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.0K CHF 15.7K

$13.9K CHF 10.9K

44.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.3K CHF 12.0K

$10.6K CHF 8,344

43.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,994 CHF 6,267

$10.2K CHF 8,035

-22.01%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Lachen: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,853 in Lausanne and $1,712 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 28% 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 $149 in Lachen. Groceries flip the comparison at $653 vs $507, 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 7% 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, Lachen earns 28% less. 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: $1,853 in Lausanne versus $1,712 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 2% less than in Lausanne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,812 in Lausanne versus $2,857 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 $3,260 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 7% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.