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: $3,900 in Lausanne versus $3,393 in Lachen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,943 in Lausanne versus $5,242 in Lachen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,986 in Lausanne versus $7,091 in Lachen.

Living in Lausanne is roughly 15% more expensive than in Lachen, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 183% above, Lachen 146% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.85 CHF 25.18

$30.30 CHF 24.73

1.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 CHF 97.9

$124 CHF 101

-3.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.94 CHF 15.45

$16.36 CHF 13.35

15.77%

Cappuccino

$6.21 CHF 5.07

$6.57 CHF 5.36

-5.48%

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

$5.26 CHF 4.30

$5.55 CHF 4.53

-5.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 CHF 3.53

$5.14 CHF 4.20

-15.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.68 CHF 8.72

$8.51 CHF 6.94

25.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.99 CHF 8.15

$9.60 CHF 7.83

4.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

$2.18 CHF 1.78

3.21%

White Bread (500g)

$4.07 CHF 3.32

$3.42 CHF 2.79

19.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 CHF 2.71

$4.45 CHF 3.63

-25.39%

Eggs

$7.13 CHF 5.82

$7.71 CHF 6.29

-7.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.97 CHF 20.38

$26.76 CHF 21.84

-6.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.48 CHF 23.25

$26.93 CHF 21.98

5.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.00 CHF 32.65

$41.68 CHF 34.02

-4.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 CHF 3.04

$3.57 CHF 2.91

4.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 CHF 1.77

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 CHF 2.14

$2.66 CHF 2.17

-1.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 CHF 3.88

$4.73 CHF 3.86

0.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 CHF 1.48

$2.00 CHF 1.63

-9.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 CHF 1.62

$2.20 CHF 1.80

-9.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 CHF 1.68

$2.49 CHF 2.03

-17.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 CHF 1.39

$1.43 CHF 1.17

19.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.90 CHF 8.90

$11.06 CHF 9.03

-1.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.21 CHF 12.42

$13.73 CHF 11.21

10.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 CHF 2.23

$2.22 CHF 1.82

23.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 CHF 2.72

$2.80 CHF 2.28

18.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 CHF 3.72

$4.71 CHF 3.84

-3.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.4 CHF 77.8

$89.5 CHF 73.0

6.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.80 CHF 6.36

$7.66 CHF 6.25

1.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.71 CHF 3.85

$4.86 CHF 3.97

-3.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.7 CHF 69.9

$87.4 CHF 71.3

-1.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.85

$2.26 CHF 1.84

0.44%

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

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

$44.4K CHF 36.3K

-0.55%

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

$40.0K CHF 32.7K

$40.6K CHF 33.1K

-1.42%

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

$295 CHF 240

$243 CHF 198

21.44%

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

$37.56 CHF 30.65

$32.92 CHF 26.86

14.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 CHF 41.78

$67.5 CHF 55.1

-24.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.5 CHF 59.2

$93.3 CHF 76.1

-22.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.4 CHF 41.15

$48.15 CHF 39.29

4.71%

Cinema Ticket

$24.31 CHF 19.84

$22.20 CHF 18.11

9.50%

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

$3,018 CHF 2,463

$2,904 CHF 2,370

3.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.2K CHF 30.3K

$44.6K CHF 36.4K

-16.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 118

$144 CHF 118

0.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.1 CHF 63.8

$90.3 CHF 73.7

-13.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 CHF 118

$147 CHF 120

-1.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$217 CHF 177

$176 CHF 144

23.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,280 CHF 1,861

$1,729 CHF 1,411

31.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,848 CHF 1,508

$1,454 CHF 1,187

27.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,387 CHF 3,580

$3,087 CHF 2,519

42.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,275 CHF 2,672

$2,558 CHF 2,088

27.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.8K CHF 15.3K

$16.1K CHF 13.1K

16.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

$12.3K CHF 10.1K

17.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,014 CHF 5,724

$9,801 CHF 7,998

-28.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

1.72

13.37%

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

Last update for Lausanne: September 6, 2026

Last update for Lachen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,280 in Lausanne and $1,729 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $120 in Lausanne vs $124 in Lachen. Groceries flip the comparison at $597 vs $591, 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 15% 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 40% 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: $2,280 in Lausanne versus $1,729 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 7% less than in Lausanne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,018 in Lausanne versus $2,904 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 $3,393 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 15% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.