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: $3,595 in Lausanne versus $3,186 in Lachen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,762 in Lausanne versus $4,928 in Lachen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,930 in Lausanne versus $6,670 in Lachen.

Living in Lausanne is roughly 13% more expensive than Lachen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 167% above, Lachen 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.90 CHF 26.29

$30.19 CHF 24.13

8.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 118

$149 CHF 119

-1.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.29 CHF 15.42

$18.41 CHF 14.71

4.78%

Cappuccino

$5.98 CHF 4.78

$6.15 CHF 4.91

-2.76%

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

$5.33 CHF 4.26

$5.67 CHF 4.53

-6.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 CHF 3.95

$5.19 CHF 4.15

-4.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.67

$7.46 CHF 5.96

28.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.72 CHF 6.97

$6.90 CHF 5.52

26.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.75

$2.28 CHF 1.82

-4.39%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 CHF 3.30

$2.62 CHF 2.10

57.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 CHF 3.44

$2.42 CHF 1.94

77.69%

Eggs

$7.03 CHF 5.62

$8.03 CHF 6.42

-12.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.28 CHF 21.01

$28.06 CHF 22.43

-6.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.86 CHF 23.07

$14.85 CHF 11.87

94.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.6 CHF 41.28

$40.43 CHF 32.32

27.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CHF 2.89

$3.22 CHF 2.58

12.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.68

$1.92 CHF 1.54

9.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.35

$2.40 CHF 1.92

22.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.67 CHF 5.33

$4.99 CHF 3.99

33.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.01

$2.59 CHF 2.07

-2.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 1.94

$2.27 CHF 1.81

7.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 2.03

$2.58 CHF 2.06

-1.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CHF 1.18

$1.10 CHF 0.88

33.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.16 CHF 8.92

$11.02 CHF 8.81

1.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 CHF 12.97

$11.50 CHF 9.19

41.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 CHF 1.69

$2.24 CHF 1.79

-5.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CHF 2.49

$2.39 CHF 1.91

30.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.92 CHF 3.93

$3.92 CHF 3.13

25.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.3 CHF 75.3

$98.3 CHF 78.6

-4.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 CHF 6.31

$6.94 CHF 5.54

13.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.28 CHF 2.62

$4.20 CHF 3.36

-21.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.0 CHF 53.5

$80.0 CHF 63.9

-16.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.80

$2.13 CHF 1.70

5.63%

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

$40.4K CHF 32.3K

$40.7K CHF 32.5K

-0.68%

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

$41.8K CHF 33.4K

$42.2K CHF 33.7K

-0.79%

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

$325 CHF 260

$125 CHF 99.7

160.68%

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

$50.8 CHF 40.61

$59.6 CHF 47.64

-14.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 CHF 46.17

$53.7 CHF 42.93

7.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.6 CHF 62.8

$86.9 CHF 69.4

-9.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.52 CHF 37.98

Cinema Ticket

$26.56 CHF 21.23

$21.82 CHF 17.44

21.72%

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

$2,833 CHF 2,264

$2,850 CHF 2,278

-0.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.0K

$34.1K CHF 27.2K

-0.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 CHF 86.1

$122 CHF 97.5

-11.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.5 CHF 56.4

$66.0 CHF 52.8

6.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 118

$155 CHF 124

-4.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 147

$236 CHF 188

-22.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 CHF 1,469

$1,666 CHF 1,331

10.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 CHF 1,155

$1,457 CHF 1,165

-0.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,615 CHF 2,889

$2,792 CHF 2,232

29.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,906 CHF 2,322

$2,442 CHF 1,952

19.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.8K CHF 15.8K

$16.2K CHF 12.9K

22.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.3K CHF 11.4K

$11.7K CHF 9,377

21.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,240 CHF 5,787

$10.1K CHF 8,041

-28.03%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Lachen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,837 in Lausanne and $1,666 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $147 in Lausanne vs $149 in Lachen. Groceries flip the comparison at $652 vs $508, 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 13% 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 39% 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: $1,837 in Lausanne versus $1,666 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 $2,833 in Lausanne versus $2,850 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 $3,186 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 13% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.