Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Meilen Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Meilen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,595 in Lausanne versus $3,525 in Meilen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,762 in Lausanne versus $5,499 in Meilen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,930 in Lausanne versus $7,473 in Meilen.

Living in Lausanne is roughly 2% more expensive than Meilen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 167% above, Meilen 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.90 CHF 26.12

$31.08 CHF 24.67

5.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 117

$145 CHF 115

1.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.29 CHF 15.32

$18.50 CHF 14.69

4.27%

Cappuccino

$5.98 CHF 4.75

$6.37 CHF 5.06

-6.12%

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

$5.33 CHF 4.23

$5.87 CHF 4.66

-9.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 CHF 3.93

$5.13 CHF 4.07

-3.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.62

$8.38 CHF 6.65

14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.72 CHF 6.93

$7.27 CHF 5.77

19.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.73

$2.31 CHF 1.83

-5.63%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 CHF 3.28

$3.29 CHF 2.61

25.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 CHF 3.41

$4.05 CHF 3.21

6.17%

Eggs

$7.03 CHF 5.58

$7.53 CHF 5.98

-6.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.28 CHF 20.87

$29.71 CHF 23.58

-11.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.86 CHF 22.91

$33.41 CHF 26.52

-13.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.6 CHF 41.00

$50.4 CHF 40.01

2.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CHF 2.87

$4.23 CHF 3.36

-14.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.67

$2.41 CHF 1.91

-12.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.34

$2.99 CHF 2.37

-1.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.67 CHF 5.29

$5.18 CHF 4.11

28.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.00

$2.51 CHF 1.99

0.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 1.93

$2.24 CHF 1.78

8.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 2.01

$2.51 CHF 1.99

1.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CHF 1.17

$1.13 CHF 0.90

30.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.16 CHF 8.86

$11.01 CHF 8.74

1.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 CHF 12.88

$15.27 CHF 12.12

6.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 CHF 1.67

$2.16 CHF 1.71

-2.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CHF 2.47

$2.29 CHF 1.82

35.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.92 CHF 3.90

$3.83 CHF 3.04

28.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.3 CHF 74.8

$96.8 CHF 76.8

-2.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 CHF 6.26

$6.63 CHF 5.26

19.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.28 CHF 2.61

$4.11 CHF 3.26

-20.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.0 CHF 53.2

$81.5 CHF 64.7

-17.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.78

$2.24 CHF 1.78

0.45%

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

$40.4K CHF 32.1K

$39.6K CHF 31.4K

1.93%

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

$41.8K CHF 33.2K

$38.9K CHF 30.9K

7.45%

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

$325 CHF 258

$256 CHF 203

27.13%

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

$50.8 CHF 40.33

$58.4 CHF 46.34

-12.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 CHF 45.86

$58.8 CHF 46.71

-1.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.6 CHF 62.4

$88.9 CHF 70.5

-11.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.52 CHF 37.73

$64.7 CHF 51.4

-26.55%

Cinema Ticket

$26.56 CHF 21.09

$27.31 CHF 21.68

-2.75%

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

$2,833 CHF 2,249

$2,795 CHF 2,219

1.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 26.8K

$40.1K CHF 31.8K

-15.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 CHF 85.5

$140 CHF 111

-23.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.5 CHF 56.0

$61.6 CHF 48.92

14.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 118

$147 CHF 116

0.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 146

$205 CHF 163

-10.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 CHF 1,459

$1,728 CHF 1,372

6.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 CHF 1,147

$1,468 CHF 1,165

-1.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,615 CHF 2,870

$2,884 CHF 2,290

25.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,906 CHF 2,307

$2,465 CHF 1,957

17.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.8K CHF 15.7K

$24.8K CHF 19.7K

-20.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.3K CHF 11.4K

$11.9K CHF 9,462

20.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,240 CHF 5,748

$8,694 CHF 6,902

-16.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

2.09

19.62%

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

Last update for Lausanne: June 6, 2026

Last update for Meilen: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,837 in Lausanne and $1,728 in Meilen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Meilen pays 20% 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 $145 in Meilen. Groceries flip the comparison at $652 vs $665, with Lausanne 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 Meilen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lausanne and Meilen differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($3,595 vs $3,525 including rent). Meilen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Meilen earns 20% 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 $1,728 in Meilen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Meilen – a meal for two runs $145 versus $147 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,595 per month in Lausanne versus $3,525 in Meilen – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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 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 Meilen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.