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: $3,497 in Lausanne versus $3,251 in Rapperswil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,694 in Lausanne versus $4,906 in Rapperswil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,890 in Lausanne versus $6,562 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 161% above, Rapperswil 143% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.20 CHF 26.03

$30.61 CHF 24.00

8.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 116

$116 CHF 90.6

28.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.38 CHF 15.19

$18.50 CHF 14.51

4.76%

Cappuccino

$5.99 CHF 4.69

$5.57 CHF 4.37

7.54%

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

$5.58 CHF 4.38

$5.46 CHF 4.28

2.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 CHF 3.79

$4.98 CHF 3.90

-2.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.03 CHF 7.87

$7.31 CHF 5.73

37.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.43 CHF 6.61

$6.12 CHF 4.80

37.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.70

$1.15 CHF 0.90

88.70%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 CHF 3.22

$1.09 CHF 0.85

277.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 CHF 3.49

$2.39 CHF 1.87

86.19%

Eggs

$7.27 CHF 5.70

$3.60 CHF 2.82

101.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.33 CHF 20.64

$27.64 CHF 21.67

-4.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.92 CHF 22.67

$31.79 CHF 24.92

-9.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$52.0 CHF 40.77

$36.72 CHF 28.79

41.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 CHF 2.97

$2.47 CHF 1.94

53.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.65

$1.82 CHF 1.42

15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.26

$2.50 CHF 1.96

15.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.68 CHF 5.23

$2.52 CHF 1.98

165.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 CHF 2.00

$1.87 CHF 1.47

36.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 CHF 1.84

$1.81 CHF 1.42

29.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CHF 2.04

$2.61 CHF 2.04

-0.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CHF 1.09

$0.65 CHF 0.51

113.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CHF 8.72

$10.77 CHF 8.45

3.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 CHF 12.36

$11.65 CHF 9.13

35.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 CHF 1.61

$0.83 CHF 0.65

146.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 CHF 2.49

$2.30 CHF 1.81

37.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.72 CHF 3.70

$3.86 CHF 3.03

22.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.3 CHF 76.3

$97.1 CHF 76.1

0.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.82 CHF 6.13

$6.76 CHF 5.30

15.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.41 CHF 2.67

$4.19 CHF 3.28

-18.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.8 CHF 53.1

$79.6 CHF 62.4

-14.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.76

$2.13 CHF 1.67

5.16%

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

$40.8K CHF 32.0K

$41.0K CHF 32.2K

-0.60%

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

$41.6K CHF 32.6K

$41.9K CHF 32.8K

-0.62%

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

$330 CHF 259

$326 CHF 256

1.20%

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

$49.88 CHF 39.11

$59.8 CHF 46.84

-16.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 CHF 45.44

$53.2 CHF 41.70

8.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.1 CHF 59.7

$86.3 CHF 67.7

-11.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.53 CHF 37.26

Cinema Ticket

$26.14 CHF 20.50

$22.04 CHF 17.28

18.60%

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

$2,812 CHF 2,205

$2,842 CHF 2,228

-1.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.5K CHF 27.1K

$34.9K CHF 27.3K

-1.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 CHF 86.2

$121 CHF 95.0

-9.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.9 CHF 54.0

$36.59 CHF 28.68

88.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 CHF 118

$100 CHF 78.7

49.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 CHF 147

$61.5 CHF 48.20

205.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,853 CHF 1,453

$1,700 CHF 1,333

8.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 CHF 1,173

$1,458 CHF 1,143

2.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,576 CHF 2,803

$2,840 CHF 2,227

25.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,917 CHF 2,287

$2,510 CHF 1,968

16.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.0K CHF 15.7K

$12.0K CHF 9,409

67.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.3K CHF 12.0K

$9,897 CHF 7,759

54.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,994 CHF 6,267

$8,603 CHF 6,745

-7.08%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Rapperswil: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,853 in Lausanne and $1,700 in Rapperswil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rapperswil pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $148 in Lausanne vs $116 in Rapperswil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $653 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 ($3,497 vs $3,251 including rent). Rapperswil is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Rapperswil 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: $1,853 in Lausanne versus $1,700 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 $116 versus $148 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,497 per month in Lausanne versus $3,251 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.