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: $3,565 in Lausanne versus $3,569 in St. Gallen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,676 in Lausanne versus $5,433 in St. Gallen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,788 in Lausanne versus $7,296 in St. Gallen.

Monthly costs are close between Lausanne and St. Gallen; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 166% above, St. Gallen 166% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.84 CHF 25.89

$30.20 CHF 23.81

8.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$145 CHF 114

$149 CHF 117

-2.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.73 CHF 14.77

$18.33 CHF 14.45

2.18%

Cappuccino

$6.07 CHF 4.79

$6.23 CHF 4.91

-2.57%

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

$5.59 CHF 4.41

$5.87 CHF 4.63

-4.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 CHF 3.71

$5.38 CHF 4.24

-12.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.64 CHF 7.60

$7.36 CHF 5.81

30.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.41 CHF 6.63

$7.15 CHF 5.64

17.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.73

$2.23 CHF 1.76

-1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.17 CHF 3.29

$2.68 CHF 2.11

55.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 CHF 3.53

$3.58 CHF 2.82

25.14%

Eggs

$7.01 CHF 5.52

$8.15 CHF 6.42

-13.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.22 CHF 20.67

$27.21 CHF 21.45

-3.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.78 CHF 22.69

$32.59 CHF 25.69

-11.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$52.0 CHF 40.97

$40.95 CHF 32.29

26.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 CHF 2.84

$3.13 CHF 2.47

15.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 CHF 1.73

$1.85 CHF 1.46

18.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.32

$2.58 CHF 2.03

14.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.43 CHF 5.07

$7.26 CHF 5.72

-11.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$2.56 CHF 2.02

-1.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 CHF 1.85

$2.34 CHF 1.85

0.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 1.96

$2.34 CHF 1.84

6.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CHF 1.09

$1.11 CHF 0.87

25.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.93 CHF 8.62

$11.04 CHF 8.71

-1.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 CHF 12.70

$11.81 CHF 9.31

36.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 CHF 1.59

$2.16 CHF 1.70

-6.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CHF 2.52

$2.31 CHF 1.82

38.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.74 CHF 3.73

$4.32 CHF 3.41

9.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.6 CHF 77.0

$80.6 CHF 63.5

21.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.98 CHF 6.29

$6.86 CHF 5.41

16.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 CHF 2.57

$4.20 CHF 3.31

-22.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.6 CHF 53.3

$79.0 CHF 62.3

-14.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$2.10 CHF 1.66

2.38%

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

$41.1K CHF 32.4K

$39.9K CHF 31.5K

2.88%

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

$41.7K CHF 32.9K

$41.5K CHF 32.7K

0.60%

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

$322 CHF 254

$332 CHF 262

-2.94%

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

$50.3 CHF 39.66

$59.3 CHF 46.73

-15.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 CHF 45.42

$52.8 CHF 41.63

9.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 CHF 59.9

$81.2 CHF 64.1

-6.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.71 CHF 37.61

$99.3 CHF 78.3

-51.97%

Cinema Ticket

$26.56 CHF 20.94

$30.30 CHF 23.89

-12.34%

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

$2,763 CHF 2,178

$2,792 CHF 2,202

-1.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K CHF 27.1K

$34.9K CHF 27.5K

-1.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 CHF 86.9

$148 CHF 117

-25.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.2 CHF 55.4

$64.8 CHF 51.1

8.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 117

$156 CHF 123

-4.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 146

$238 CHF 187

-22.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CHF 1,446

$1,814 CHF 1,431

1.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 CHF 1,172

$1,526 CHF 1,203

-2.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,523 CHF 2,777

$2,733 CHF 2,154

28.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,944 CHF 2,321

$2,369 CHF 1,868

24.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.6K CHF 15.4K

$10.8K CHF 8,511

81.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.4K CHF 11.4K

$8,655 CHF 6,823

66.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,571 CHF 5,969

$7,138 CHF 5,628

6.06%

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 2, 2026

Last update for St. Gallen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,834 in Lausanne and $1,814 in St. Gallen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lausanne pays 6% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $145 in Lausanne vs $149 in St. Gallen. Groceries flip the comparison at $651 vs $611, with St. Gallen cheaper for home cooking.

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 pays 6% more on average, 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: $1,834 in Lausanne versus $1,814 in St. Gallen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lausanne runs roughly 21% less than in St. Gallen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in St. Gallen pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lausanne 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.

It comes down to priorities – Lausanne wins on affordability, St. Gallen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.