Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Meilen

For one person, living is cheaper in Meilen: $3,386 a month against $3,837 in Lausanne, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lausanne outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

183

Cost of Living Index in Lausanne
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Lausanne Living Index
164

Cost of Living Index in Meilen
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Meilen Living Index

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Lausanne

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,837

/mo nomad

Meilen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,386

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lausanne and in Meilen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lausanne and in Meilen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,837 in Lausanne versus $3,386 in Meilen.

Lausanne $3,837
Meilen $3,386

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,789 in Lausanne versus $5,977 in Meilen.

Lausanne $5,789
Meilen $5,977

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,741 in Lausanne versus $8,568 in Meilen.

Lausanne $7,741
Meilen $8,568

Living in Lausanne is roughly 13% more expensive than in Meilen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 182% above, Meilen 149% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.81 CHF 25.41

$32.96 CHF 27.19

-6.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$116 CHF 95.5

$120 CHF 98.8

-3.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.81 CHF 14.69

$16.48 CHF 13.60

8.07%

Cappuccino

$6.13 CHF 5.05

$6.36 CHF 5.24

-3.62%

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

$5.17 CHF 4.27

$5.76 CHF 4.75

-10.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 CHF 3.42

$5.25 CHF 4.33

-20.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.14 CHF 8.37

$8.63 CHF 7.12

17.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.59 CHF 7.91

$8.56 CHF 7.06

12.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$2.18 CHF 1.80

1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.81 CHF 3.15

$3.42 CHF 2.82

11.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 CHF 2.70

$3.74 CHF 3.08

-12.30%

Eggs

$7.24 CHF 5.97

$7.85 CHF 6.48

-7.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.40 CHF 20.13

$26.09 CHF 21.52

-6.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.51 CHF 22.69

$25.84 CHF 21.32

6.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.81 CHF 32.84

$39.94 CHF 32.94

-0.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 CHF 2.92

$3.49 CHF 2.88

1.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.77

$2.11 CHF 1.74

1.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.06

$2.71 CHF 2.24

-8.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 CHF 3.70

$4.50 CHF 3.71

-0.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CHF 1.53

$2.07 CHF 1.71

-10.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 CHF 1.60

$2.18 CHF 1.80

-11.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 CHF 1.64

$2.36 CHF 1.94

-15.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 CHF 1.39

$1.26 CHF 1.04

34.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.99 CHF 9.06

$11.05 CHF 9.12

-0.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.96 CHF 12.34

$13.29 CHF 10.96

12.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 CHF 2.17

$2.25 CHF 1.85

17.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 CHF 2.58

$3.15 CHF 2.60

-0.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.68 CHF 3.86

$4.43 CHF 3.65

5.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.1 CHF 79.3

$102 CHF 84.2

-5.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.94 CHF 6.55

$7.64 CHF 6.30

3.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.45 CHF 3.67

$4.50 CHF 3.71

-1.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$83.5 CHF 68.9

$87.5 CHF 72.2

-4.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.90

$2.19 CHF 1.81

5.48%

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

$39.4K CHF 32.5K

$38.6K CHF 31.9K

1.95%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

1.53%

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

$299 CHF 247

$234 CHF 193

27.82%

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

$37.02 CHF 30.53

$38.39 CHF 31.67

-3.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 CHF 43.02

$64.6 CHF 53.3

-19.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.6 CHF 58.3

$90.9 CHF 75.0

-22.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.90 CHF 40.34

$45.64 CHF 37.65

7.14%

Cinema Ticket

$24.49 CHF 20.20

$23.65 CHF 19.51

3.55%

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

$2,960 CHF 2,442

$2,822 CHF 2,328

4.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.8K CHF 30.3K

$42.6K CHF 35.2K

-13.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$143 CHF 118

$138 CHF 114

3.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.8 CHF 65.0

$58.1 CHF 47.96

35.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 CHF 115

$145 CHF 120

-3.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$213 CHF 176

$175 CHF 144

21.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,369 CHF 1,955

$1,778 CHF 1,466

33.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,863 CHF 1,537

$1,463 CHF 1,207

27.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,244 CHF 3,501

$2,894 CHF 2,388

46.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,230 CHF 2,665

$4,088 CHF 3,372

-20.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 15.2K

$16.4K CHF 13.5K

12.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.6K CHF 11.2K

$12.6K CHF 10.4K

7.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,587 CHF 5,434

$8,262 CHF 6,815

-20.27%

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: October 27, 2026

Last update for Meilen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lausanne

$1.9K 48.6%

Meilen

$1.5K 43.2% 21.5% $400

Groceries & Markets

Lausanne

$583 15.2%

Meilen

$572 16.9% 1.7% $10

Eating Out

Lausanne

$481 12.5%

Meilen

$494 14.6% 2.7% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lausanne

$388 10.1%

Meilen

$337 10% 13.2% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Lausanne

$259 6.7%

Meilen

$232 6.9% 10.2% $26

Getting Around

Lausanne

$145 3.8%

Meilen

$150 4.4% 3.4% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Lausanne

$120 3.1%

Meilen

$138 4.1% 15.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,369 in Lausanne and $1,778 in Meilen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Meilen pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $116 in Lausanne vs $120 in Meilen. Groceries flip the comparison at $583 vs $572, with Meilen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Lausanne

🇨🇭 Meilen

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

Same time as Lausanne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

133,521

13,515

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lausanne Meilen 170 km

From you

Lausanne
Meilen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Meilen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,837 in Lausanne and $3,386 in Meilen, so Meilen is about 12% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Lausanne. 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: $2,369 in Lausanne versus $1,778 in Meilen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lausanne runs roughly 6% less than in Meilen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $3,837 per month in Lausanne versus $3,386 in Meilen – Meilen is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Meilen is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lausanne and Meilen are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.