Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Montreux

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreux: $3,440 a month against $3,837 in Lausanne, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 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
166

Cost of Living Index in Montreux
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Montreux Living Index

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Lausanne

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,837

/mo nomad

Montreux

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,440

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lausanne and in Montreux

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 Montreux actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,837 in Lausanne versus $3,440 in Montreux.

Lausanne $3,837
Montreux $3,440

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,789 in Lausanne versus $5,245 in Montreux.

Lausanne $5,789
Montreux $5,245

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,741 in Lausanne versus $7,050 in Montreux.

Lausanne $7,741
Montreux $7,050

Living in Lausanne is roughly 12% more expensive than in Montreux.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 182% above, Montreux 153% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.81 CHF 25.41

$30.54 CHF 25.19

0.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$116 CHF 95.5

$125 CHF 103

-7.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.81 CHF 14.69

$18.32 CHF 15.11

-2.78%

Cappuccino

$6.13 CHF 5.05

$6.07 CHF 5.01

0.99%

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

$5.17 CHF 4.27

$4.61 CHF 3.80

12.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 CHF 3.42

$4.05 CHF 3.34

2.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.14 CHF 8.37

$9.70 CHF 8.00

4.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.59 CHF 7.91

$9.49 CHF 7.83

1.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.81 CHF 3.15

$3.31 CHF 2.73

15.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 CHF 2.70

$3.32 CHF 2.74

-1.20%

Eggs

$7.24 CHF 5.97

$7.09 CHF 5.85

2.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.40 CHF 20.13

$24.79 CHF 20.45

-1.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.51 CHF 22.69

$28.28 CHF 23.33

-2.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.81 CHF 32.84

$39.88 CHF 32.90

-0.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 CHF 2.92

$3.65 CHF 3.01

-3.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.77

$1.66 CHF 1.37

29.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.06

$2.46 CHF 2.03

1.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 CHF 3.70

$4.60 CHF 3.80

-2.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CHF 1.53

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 CHF 1.60

$1.92 CHF 1.58

1.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 CHF 1.64

$1.97 CHF 1.63

1.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 CHF 1.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.99 CHF 9.06

$11.00 CHF 9.08

-0.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.96 CHF 12.34

$12.05 CHF 9.94

24.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 CHF 2.17

$2.73 CHF 2.25

-3.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 CHF 2.58

$3.25 CHF 2.68

-3.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.68 CHF 3.86

$4.21 CHF 3.47

11.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.1 CHF 79.3

$104 CHF 85.4

-7.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.94 CHF 6.55

$7.47 CHF 6.16

6.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.45 CHF 3.67

$3.76 CHF 3.10

18.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$83.5 CHF 68.9

$64.8 CHF 53.5

28.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.90

$2.42 CHF 2.00

-4.55%

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

$39.4K CHF 32.5K

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

1.90%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

$39.6K CHF 32.7K

-0.13%

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

$299 CHF 247

$288 CHF 238

3.67%

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

$37.02 CHF 30.53

$37.64 CHF 31.05

-1.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 CHF 43.02

$52.2 CHF 43.03

-0.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.6 CHF 58.3

$89.6 CHF 73.9

-21.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.90 CHF 40.34

$45.58 CHF 37.60

7.28%

Cinema Ticket

$24.49 CHF 20.20

$24.18 CHF 19.95

1.28%

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

$2,960 CHF 2,442

$2,443 CHF 2,015

21.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.8K CHF 30.3K

$35.9K CHF 29.7K

2.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$143 CHF 118

$135 CHF 111

6.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.8 CHF 65.0

$78.7 CHF 64.9

0.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 CHF 115

$168 CHF 139

-17.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$213 CHF 176

$184 CHF 152

15.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,369 CHF 1,955

$1,773 CHF 1,462

33.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,863 CHF 1,537

$1,473 CHF 1,215

26.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,244 CHF 3,501

$2,960 CHF 2,441

43.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,230 CHF 2,665

$2,500 CHF 2,062

29.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 15.2K

$16.4K CHF 13.5K

12.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.6K CHF 11.2K

$12.5K CHF 10.3K

8.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,587 CHF 5,434

$8,161 CHF 6,732

-19.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

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

Last update for Lausanne: October 27, 2026

Last update for Montreux: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lausanne

$1.9K 48.6%

Montreux

$1.5K 42.8% 20.9% $390

Groceries & Markets

Lausanne

$583 15.2%

Montreux

$575 16.7% 1.2% $7.1

Eating Out

Lausanne

$481 12.5%

Montreux

$474 13.8% 1.3% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lausanne

$388 10.1%

Montreux

$378 11% 2.6% $9.9

Clothing & Footwear

Lausanne

$259 6.7%

Montreux

$255 7.4% 1.5% $3.9

Getting Around

Lausanne

$145 3.8%

Montreux

$147 4.3% 1.1% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Lausanne

$120 3.1%

Montreux

$138 4% 15.3% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,369 in Lausanne and $1,773 in Montreux. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreux pays 24% 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 $125 in Montreux. Groceries flip the comparison at $583 vs $575, with Montreux cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Lausanne

🇨🇭 Montreux

🕒 Local time

17:18 5:18 PM

Same time as Lausanne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

133,521

26,208

💱 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

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Lausanne Montreux 24 km

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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 Montreux: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,837 in Lausanne and $3,440 in Montreux, so Montreux is about 10% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 19% 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 $1,773 in Montreux. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lausanne runs roughly 7% less than in Montreux. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $3,837 per month in Lausanne versus $3,440 in Montreux – Montreux is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Montreux is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Montreux is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lausanne, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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