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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,604 in Lausanne versus $3,776 in St. Moritz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Lausanne versus $6,503 in St. Moritz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,772 in Lausanne versus $9,229 in St. Moritz.

Living in Lausanne costs roughly 5% less than in St. Moritz, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 171% above, St. Moritz 184% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.78 CHF 26.46

$31.00 CHF 25.02

5.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 118

$147 CHF 118

-0.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.83 CHF 15.19

$14.73 CHF 11.89

27.83%

Cappuccino

$6.09 CHF 4.92

$6.32 CHF 5.10

-3.64%

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

$5.33 CHF 4.30

$5.65 CHF 4.56

-5.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 CHF 3.79

$4.50 CHF 3.63

4.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.74 CHF 7.86

$9.75 CHF 7.87

-0.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 CHF 6.75

$5.99 CHF 4.84

39.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.74

$1.32 CHF 1.07

63.64%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 CHF 3.27

$3.38 CHF 2.73

19.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 CHF 3.65

$4.11 CHF 3.32

9.98%

Eggs

$7.02 CHF 5.66

$7.60 CHF 6.14

-7.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.66 CHF 21.52

$29.20 CHF 23.57

-8.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.77 CHF 23.22

$32.92 CHF 26.57

-12.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$52.7 CHF 42.55

$50.6 CHF 40.85

4.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 CHF 3.06

$4.09 CHF 3.30

-7.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 CHF 1.69

$2.89 CHF 2.33

-27.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 CHF 2.27

$3.04 CHF 2.45

-7.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.44 CHF 5.20

$5.20 CHF 4.20

23.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.95

$2.74 CHF 2.21

-12.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.94

$2.31 CHF 1.86

3.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.04

$2.47 CHF 1.99

2.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CHF 1.12

$1.73 CHF 1.39

-19.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.22 CHF 9.05

$11.16 CHF 9.00

0.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 CHF 12.43

$13.58 CHF 10.96

13.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 CHF 1.64

$2.70 CHF 2.18

-24.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 CHF 2.65

$3.31 CHF 2.67

-0.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.91 CHF 3.96

$3.84 CHF 3.10

27.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.9 CHF 76.6

$96.9 CHF 78.2

-2.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.76 CHF 6.26

$7.52 CHF 6.07

3.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.41 CHF 2.75

$4.46 CHF 3.60

-23.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.8 CHF 53.9

$89.2 CHF 72.0

-25.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.74

$2.24 CHF 1.81

-3.57%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.8K

$40.5K CHF 32.7K

0.27%

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

$41.4K CHF 33.4K

$39.8K CHF 32.1K

3.96%

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

$321 CHF 259

$97.2 CHF 78.5

230.37%

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

$51.0 CHF 41.17

$36.41 CHF 29.38

40.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 CHF 48.06

$59.7 CHF 48.16

-0.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 CHF 62.4

$74.7 CHF 60.3

3.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.48 CHF 38.32

$42.41 CHF 34.22

11.95%

Cinema Ticket

$26.09 CHF 21.05

$18.87 CHF 15.23

38.26%

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

$2,837 CHF 2,289

$3,368 CHF 2,718

-15.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.5K CHF 27.8K

$39.7K CHF 32.1K

-13.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CHF 86.5

$137 CHF 111

-21.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.8 CHF 57.1

$62.3 CHF 50.2

13.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 120

$151 CHF 122

-1.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$183 CHF 148

$203 CHF 164

-9.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,822 CHF 1,470

$1,702 CHF 1,374

7.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 CHF 1,185

$1,993 CHF 1,608

-26.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,656 CHF 2,950

$2,808 CHF 2,266

30.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,968 CHF 2,395

$4,655 CHF 3,757

-36.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.5K CHF 14.9K

$15.6K CHF 12.6K

18.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.8K CHF 11.2K

$12.2K CHF 9,879

13.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,703 CHF 5,409

$4,804 CHF 3,877

39.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

1.8

38.89%

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

Last update for Lausanne: July 25, 2026

Last update for St. Moritz: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,822 in Lausanne and $1,702 in St. Moritz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lausanne pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $146 in Lausanne vs $147 in St. Moritz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $652 vs $665 per month, with Lausanne 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. Moritz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lausanne and St. Moritz differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($3,604 vs $3,776 including rent). Lausanne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 40% 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: $1,822 in Lausanne versus $1,702 in St. Moritz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lausanne – a meal for two runs $146 versus $147 in St. Moritz. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,604 per month in Lausanne versus $3,776 in St. Moritz – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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. Moritz 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 Lausanne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in St. Moritz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.