Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Rapperswil Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Rapperswil

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,595 in Lausanne versus $3,316 in Rapperswil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,762 in Lausanne versus $5,004 in Rapperswil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,930 in Lausanne versus $6,693 in Rapperswil.

Living in Lausanne is roughly 8% more expensive than Rapperswil, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 167% above, Rapperswil 147% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.90 CHF 26.29

$30.58 CHF 24.44

7.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 118

$115 CHF 91.9

28.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.29 CHF 15.42

$18.21 CHF 14.56

5.93%

Cappuccino

$5.98 CHF 4.78

$5.53 CHF 4.42

8.14%

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

$5.33 CHF 4.26

$5.61 CHF 4.48

-4.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 CHF 3.95

$4.90 CHF 3.91

1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.67

$7.58 CHF 6.06

26.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.72 CHF 6.97

$6.00 CHF 4.80

45.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.75

$1.15 CHF 0.92

89.57%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 CHF 3.30

$1.09 CHF 0.87

278.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 CHF 3.44

$2.42 CHF 1.94

77.69%

Eggs

$7.03 CHF 5.62

$3.61 CHF 2.89

94.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.28 CHF 21.01

$27.30 CHF 21.82

-3.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.86 CHF 23.07

$32.21 CHF 25.75

-10.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.6 CHF 41.28

$36.90 CHF 29.50

39.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CHF 2.89

$2.40 CHF 1.92

50.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.68

$1.90 CHF 1.52

10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.35

$2.53 CHF 2.02

16.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.67 CHF 5.33

$2.43 CHF 1.94

174.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.01

$1.83 CHF 1.46

37.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 1.94

$1.84 CHF 1.47

32.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 2.03

$2.55 CHF 2.04

-0.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CHF 1.18

$0.60 CHF 0.48

145.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.16 CHF 8.92

$10.99 CHF 8.79

1.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 CHF 12.97

$11.41 CHF 9.12

42.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 CHF 1.69

$0.85 CHF 0.68

148.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CHF 2.49

$2.39 CHF 1.91

30.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.92 CHF 3.93

$3.83 CHF 3.06

28.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.3 CHF 75.3

$99.8 CHF 79.8

-5.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 CHF 6.31

$6.73 CHF 5.38

17.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.28 CHF 2.62

$4.32 CHF 3.45

-24.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.0 CHF 53.5

$78.5 CHF 62.8

-14.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.80

$2.10 CHF 1.68

7.14%

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

$40.4K CHF 32.3K

$40.3K CHF 32.2K

0.23%

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

$41.8K CHF 33.4K

$42.2K CHF 33.7K

-0.81%

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

$325 CHF 260

$332 CHF 266

-2.15%

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

$50.8 CHF 40.61

$59.1 CHF 47.27

-14.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 CHF 46.17

$52.9 CHF 42.29

9.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.6 CHF 62.8

$89.6 CHF 71.7

-12.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.52 CHF 37.98

Cinema Ticket

$26.56 CHF 21.23

$21.92 CHF 17.52

21.17%

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

$2,833 CHF 2,264

$2,883 CHF 2,304

-1.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.0K

$34.1K CHF 27.3K

-1.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 CHF 86.1

$120 CHF 96.1

-10.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.5 CHF 56.4

$37.17 CHF 29.71

89.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 118

$101 CHF 80.3

47.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 147

$60.6 CHF 48.41

203.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 CHF 1,469

$1,690 CHF 1,350

8.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 CHF 1,155

$1,484 CHF 1,186

-2.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,615 CHF 2,889

$2,873 CHF 2,296

25.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,906 CHF 2,322

$2,440 CHF 1,950

19.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.8K CHF 15.8K

$16.3K CHF 13.0K

21.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.3K CHF 11.4K

$11.7K CHF 9,369

22.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,240 CHF 5,787

$8,462 CHF 6,764

-14.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

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

Last update for Lausanne: June 6, 2026

Last update for Rapperswil: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,837 in Lausanne and $1,690 in Rapperswil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rapperswil pays 17% 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 $115 in Rapperswil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $652 vs $504 per month, with Rapperswil 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 Rapperswil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lausanne and Rapperswil differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($3,595 vs $3,316 including rent). Rapperswil is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Rapperswil earns 17% 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 $1,690 in Rapperswil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Rapperswil – a meal for two runs $115 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 $3,316 in Rapperswil – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Rapperswil 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 Rapperswil 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 Rapperswil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.