Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Olten

For one person, living is cheaper in Olten: $3,049 a month against $3,769 in Lausanne, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lausanne outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

182

Cost of Living Index in Lausanne
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Lausanne Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Olten
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Olten Living Index

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Lausanne

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,769

/mo nomad

Olten

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,049

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lausanne and in Olten

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,769 in Lausanne versus $3,049 in Olten.

Lausanne $3,769
Olten $3,049

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,735 in Lausanne versus $4,812 in Olten.

Lausanne $5,735
Olten $4,812

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,701 in Lausanne versus $6,576 in Olten.

Lausanne $7,701
Olten $6,576

Living in Lausanne is roughly 24% more expensive than in Olten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 178% above, Olten 125% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.80 CHF 24.54

$33.18 CHF 27.33

-10.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 CHF 93.1

$122 CHF 100

-7.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.81 CHF 14.67

$17.69 CHF 14.57

0.68%

Cappuccino

$6.01 CHF 4.95

$6.29 CHF 5.18

-4.45%

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

$5.16 CHF 4.25

$5.51 CHF 4.54

-6.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 CHF 3.50

$5.21 CHF 4.29

-18.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.19 CHF 8.39

$9.22 CHF 7.59

10.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.58 CHF 7.89

$7.52 CHF 6.19

27.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.82

$2.11 CHF 1.73

4.74%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 CHF 3.32

$3.87 CHF 3.19

4.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.35 CHF 2.76

$3.81 CHF 3.14

-12.07%

Eggs

$7.33 CHF 6.04

$8.37 CHF 6.90

-12.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.14 CHF 19.89

$26.10 CHF 21.50

-7.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.97 CHF 23.04

$26.77 CHF 22.05

4.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.69 CHF 32.69

$46.34 CHF 38.16

-14.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 CHF 2.97

$4.02 CHF 3.31

-10.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.68

$2.69 CHF 2.22

-24.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 CHF 2.03

$2.97 CHF 2.45

-17.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 CHF 3.70

$4.69 CHF 3.86

-4.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CHF 1.47

$2.49 CHF 2.05

-28.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 CHF 1.64

$2.14 CHF 1.76

-7.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 CHF 1.68

$2.55 CHF 2.10

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 CHF 1.46

$1.29 CHF 1.06

37.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.06 CHF 9.11

$10.85 CHF 8.93

1.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 CHF 12.57

$14.12 CHF 11.63

8.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 CHF 2.19

$2.79 CHF 2.30

-4.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.60

$3.25 CHF 2.68

-2.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.33 CHF 3.57

$5.30 CHF 4.37

-18.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.1 CHF 78.3

$107 CHF 88.3

-11.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 CHF 6.50

$8.39 CHF 6.91

-5.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.62 CHF 3.81

$4.53 CHF 3.73

1.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.1 CHF 70.1

$90.2 CHF 74.3

-5.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.40 CHF 1.97

$2.16 CHF 1.78

11.11%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.7K

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

0.27%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

0.87%

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

$299 CHF 246

$275 CHF 227

8.47%

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

$37.20 CHF 30.64

$32.97 CHF 27.15

12.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 CHF 42.34

$47.51 CHF 39.13

8.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.3 CHF 59.5

$80.2 CHF 66.1

-9.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.35 CHF 40.65

Cinema Ticket

$24.67 CHF 20.31

$21.01 CHF 17.30

17.42%

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

$2,962 CHF 2,440

$3,608 CHF 2,971

-17.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.8K CHF 30.3K

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

-11.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 CHF 116

$143 CHF 118

-1.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.1 CHF 63.5

$59.3 CHF 48.81

30.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 CHF 115

$167 CHF 137

-16.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$215 CHF 177

$210 CHF 173

2.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,297 CHF 1,892

$1,210 CHF 997

89.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 CHF 1,482

$1,035 CHF 852

73.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,259 CHF 3,507

$1,968 CHF 1,621

116.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,215 CHF 2,648

$1,948 CHF 1,605

65.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.0K CHF 14.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.0K CHF 11.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,544 CHF 5,389

$5,837 CHF 4,808

12.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

2.07

-5.80%

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

Last update for Lausanne: October 18, 2026

Last update for Olten: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lausanne

$1.8K 47.8%

Olten

$1K 34% 42.5% $765

Groceries & Markets

Lausanne

$588 15.6%

Olten

$617 20.3% 5% $29

Eating Out

Lausanne

$472 12.5%

Olten

$498 16.3% 5.6% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lausanne

$387 10.3%

Olten

$356 11.7% 8.1% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Lausanne

$257 6.8%

Olten

$261 8.6% 1.3% $3.3

Getting Around

Lausanne

$143 3.8%

Olten

$160 5.2% 11.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Lausanne

$122 3.2%

Olten

$122 4% 0.5% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,297 in Lausanne and $1,210 in Olten. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lausanne pays 12% 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: $113 in Lausanne vs $122 in Olten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $588 vs $617 per month, with Lausanne cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Lausanne

🇨🇭 Olten

🕒 Local time

19:00 7:00 PM

Same time as Lausanne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

133,521

17,280

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Olten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lausanne and Olten differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($3,769 vs $3,049 including rent). Olten is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Lausanne, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,297 in Lausanne versus $1,210 in Olten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Olten – a meal for two runs $122 versus $113 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,769 per month in Lausanne versus $3,049 in Olten – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Olten 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 Olten 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 Olten gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.