Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and St. Gallen Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and St. Gallen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,619 in Lausanne versus $3,529 in St. Gallen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,781 in Lausanne versus $5,441 in St. Gallen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,944 in Lausanne versus $7,353 in St. Gallen.

Living in Lausanne is roughly 3% more expensive than in St. Gallen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 171% above, St. Gallen 164% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.44 CHF 26.28

$30.33 CHF 24.57

6.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 120

$147 CHF 119

0.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.05 CHF 15.43

$18.50 CHF 14.99

2.97%

Cappuccino

$5.90 CHF 4.78

$6.36 CHF 5.15

-7.23%

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

$5.41 CHF 4.38

$5.84 CHF 4.73

-7.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 CHF 3.98

$5.33 CHF 4.32

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.12 CHF 8.19

$7.66 CHF 6.20

32.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.85 CHF 7.17

$7.28 CHF 5.89

21.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.82

$2.20 CHF 1.78

1.82%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 CHF 3.31

$2.66 CHF 2.15

53.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 CHF 3.54

$3.53 CHF 2.86

23.80%

Eggs

$7.37 CHF 5.97

$8.31 CHF 6.73

-11.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.35 CHF 21.35

$27.25 CHF 22.08

-3.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.58 CHF 23.15

$32.23 CHF 26.10

-11.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$53.2 CHF 43.07

$41.77 CHF 33.84

27.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 CHF 3.08

$3.27 CHF 2.65

16.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.74

$1.86 CHF 1.51

15.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.34

$2.45 CHF 1.98

17.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.62 CHF 5.36

$7.04 CHF 5.70

-5.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 1.97

$2.53 CHF 2.05

-3.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.95

$2.32 CHF 1.88

3.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CHF 2.05

$2.38 CHF 1.93

6.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 CHF 1.14

$1.11 CHF 0.90

26.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.03 CHF 8.94

$10.80 CHF 8.75

2.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.39 CHF 12.47

$11.53 CHF 9.34

33.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 CHF 1.70

$2.19 CHF 1.77

-4.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 CHF 2.65

$2.39 CHF 1.93

36.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.83 CHF 3.91

$4.21 CHF 3.41

14.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.1 CHF 77.8

$82.5 CHF 66.8

16.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 CHF 6.21

$6.79 CHF 5.50

12.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 CHF 2.77

$4.10 CHF 3.32

-16.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.1 CHF 53.6

$79.4 CHF 64.3

-16.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.76

$2.14 CHF 1.73

1.87%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.1K

$40.6K CHF 32.9K

-2.55%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.9K

$40.8K CHF 33.1K

-0.43%

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

$331 CHF 268

$324 CHF 262

2.11%

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

$50.0 CHF 40.52

$59.4 CHF 48.09

-15.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 CHF 46.77

$52.2 CHF 42.30

10.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.4 CHF 63.5

$82.7 CHF 67.0

-5.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.46 CHF 39.25

$100 CHF 81.0

-51.56%

Cinema Ticket

$26.35 CHF 21.35

$31.00 CHF 25.11

-15.00%

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

$2,843 CHF 2,303

$2,815 CHF 2,280

1.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 28.0K

$34.2K CHF 27.7K

1.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 CHF 89.1

$145 CHF 118

-24.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.2 CHF 56.0

$64.6 CHF 52.3

7.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 CHF 124

$159 CHF 128

-3.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 149

$233 CHF 189

-21.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CHF 1,486

$1,816 CHF 1,471

1.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 CHF 1,195

$1,495 CHF 1,211

-1.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,654 CHF 2,960

$2,793 CHF 2,262

30.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,979 CHF 2,413

$2,310 CHF 1,871

28.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.6K CHF 15.1K

$12.4K CHF 10.0K

50.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.5K

$9,105 CHF 7,375

56.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,512 CHF 5,275

$6,998 CHF 5,668

-6.95%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for St. Gallen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,834 in Lausanne and $1,816 in St. Gallen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays 7% 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 $147 in St. Gallen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $655 vs $610 per month, with St. Gallen 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 St. Gallen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lausanne and St. Gallen differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($3,619 vs $3,529 including rent). St. Gallen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in St. Gallen. 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: $1,834 in Lausanne versus $1,816 in St. Gallen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in St. Gallen – a meal for two runs $147 versus $148 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,619 per month in Lausanne versus $3,529 in St. Gallen – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. St. Gallen 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 St. Gallen 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 St. Gallen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.