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: $3,498 in Lausanne versus $3,550 in Meilen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,732 in Lausanne versus $5,422 in Meilen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,966 in Lausanne versus $7,295 in Meilen.

Living in Lausanne costs roughly 1% less than in Meilen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 161% above, Meilen 165% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.00 CHF 26.10

$31.33 CHF 24.78

5.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 116

$150 CHF 118

-1.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.28 CHF 15.25

$18.66 CHF 14.76

3.32%

Cappuccino

$6.09 CHF 4.82

$6.19 CHF 4.90

-1.62%

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

$5.33 CHF 4.21

$6.08 CHF 4.81

-12.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 CHF 3.80

$5.29 CHF 4.19

-9.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.02 CHF 7.93

$8.43 CHF 6.67

18.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.55 CHF 6.76

$7.45 CHF 5.89

14.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.80

$2.29 CHF 1.81

-0.87%

White Bread (500g)

$4.10 CHF 3.25

$3.28 CHF 2.60

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 CHF 3.53

$4.12 CHF 3.26

8.25%

Eggs

$7.15 CHF 5.66

$7.52 CHF 5.95

-4.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.38 CHF 20.86

$29.67 CHF 23.47

-11.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.91 CHF 22.87

$33.85 CHF 26.77

-14.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$52.6 CHF 41.57

$50.4 CHF 39.86

4.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 CHF 2.89

$4.24 CHF 3.35

-13.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$2.52 CHF 1.99

-14.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$3.02 CHF 2.39

-2.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 CHF 5.19

$5.22 CHF 4.13

25.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 1.93

$2.50 CHF 1.98

-2.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.85

$2.29 CHF 1.81

2.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CHF 2.08

$2.58 CHF 2.04

1.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 CHF 1.11

$1.14 CHF 0.90

22.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.02 CHF 8.72

$10.99 CHF 8.69

0.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 CHF 12.79

$15.56 CHF 12.31

3.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 CHF 1.59

$2.16 CHF 1.71

-6.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$2.27 CHF 1.80

42.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.86 CHF 3.84

$4.03 CHF 3.18

20.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 CHF 75.9

$98.2 CHF 77.7

-2.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.86 CHF 6.22

$6.87 CHF 5.43

14.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 CHF 2.62

$4.14 CHF 3.28

-19.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.6 CHF 51.9

$78.9 CHF 62.4

-16.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.76

$2.24 CHF 1.77

-0.45%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.5K

$41.0K CHF 32.4K

-2.76%

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

$40.8K CHF 32.3K

$39.5K CHF 31.3K

3.27%

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

$324 CHF 256

$255 CHF 201

27.14%

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

$49.73 CHF 39.34

$59.4 CHF 46.96

-16.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 CHF 46.22

$57.5 CHF 45.51

1.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.4 CHF 61.3

$88.9 CHF 70.3

-12.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.11 CHF 38.85

$65.1 CHF 51.5

-24.61%

Cinema Ticket

$26.10 CHF 20.64

$27.58 CHF 21.82

-5.37%

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

$2,823 CHF 2,233

$2,847 CHF 2,252

-0.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 27.4K

$39.3K CHF 31.1K

-11.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 CHF 85.5

$142 CHF 112

-23.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.2 CHF 55.5

$62.5 CHF 49.46

12.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 CHF 121

$149 CHF 118

2.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$187 CHF 148

$200 CHF 159

-6.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 CHF 1,490

$1,669 CHF 1,320

12.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 CHF 1,158

$1,442 CHF 1,141

1.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,584 CHF 2,835

$2,880 CHF 2,278

24.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,901 CHF 2,295

$2,497 CHF 1,975

16.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.0K CHF 15.8K

$14.3K CHF 11.3K

39.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.0K CHF 11.8K

$10.6K CHF 8,399

40.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,840 CHF 6,202

$8,496 CHF 6,720

-7.72%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Meilen: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,884 in Lausanne and $1,669 in Meilen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Meilen pays 8% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $147 in Lausanne vs $150 in Meilen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $656 vs $669 per month, with Lausanne cheaper across the board.

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 ($3,498 vs $3,550 including rent). Lausanne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Meilen earns 8% 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: $1,884 in Lausanne versus $1,669 in Meilen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lausanne – a meal for two runs $147 versus $150 in Meilen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,498 per month in Lausanne versus $3,550 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 $3,000. Lausanne 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 Lausanne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Meilen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.