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: $3,595 in Lausanne versus $3,847 in St. Moritz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,762 in Lausanne versus $6,534 in St. Moritz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,930 in Lausanne versus $9,221 in St. Moritz.

Living in Lausanne costs roughly 7% less than in St. Moritz, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 167% above, St. Moritz 186% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.90 CHF 26.12

$31.18 CHF 24.75

5.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 117

$146 CHF 116

0.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.29 CHF 15.32

$14.71 CHF 11.68

31.14%

Cappuccino

$5.98 CHF 4.75

$6.27 CHF 4.98

-4.63%

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

$5.33 CHF 4.23

$5.48 CHF 4.35

-2.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 CHF 3.93

$4.70 CHF 3.73

5.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.62

$9.73 CHF 7.73

-1.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.72 CHF 6.93

$6.05 CHF 4.81

44.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.73

$1.33 CHF 1.06

63.91%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 CHF 3.28

$3.40 CHF 2.70

21.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 CHF 3.41

$3.94 CHF 3.13

9.14%

Eggs

$7.03 CHF 5.58

$7.46 CHF 5.92

-5.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.28 CHF 20.87

$29.03 CHF 23.05

-9.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.86 CHF 22.91

$33.94 CHF 26.95

-14.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.6 CHF 41.00

$50.8 CHF 40.32

1.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CHF 2.87

$4.14 CHF 3.29

-12.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.67

$2.91 CHF 2.31

-27.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.34

$3.15 CHF 2.50

-6.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.67 CHF 5.29

$5.05 CHF 4.01

32.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.00

$2.73 CHF 2.17

-7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 1.93

$2.29 CHF 1.82

6.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 2.01

$2.58 CHF 2.05

-1.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CHF 1.17

$1.67 CHF 1.33

-11.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.16 CHF 8.86

$11.28 CHF 8.95

-1.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 CHF 12.88

$14.82 CHF 11.76

9.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 CHF 1.67

$2.64 CHF 2.09

-20.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CHF 2.47

$3.22 CHF 2.56

-3.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.92 CHF 3.90

$4.04 CHF 3.21

21.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.3 CHF 74.8

$95.2 CHF 75.6

-0.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 CHF 6.26

$7.52 CHF 5.97

4.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.28 CHF 2.61

$4.54 CHF 3.61

-27.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.0 CHF 53.2

$86.3 CHF 68.5

-22.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.78

$2.27 CHF 1.80

-0.88%

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

$40.4K CHF 32.1K

$40.0K CHF 31.8K

0.88%

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

$41.8K CHF 33.2K

$39.8K CHF 31.6K

5.10%

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

$325 CHF 258

$98.5 CHF 78.2

229.89%

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

$50.8 CHF 40.33

$35.59 CHF 28.25

42.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 CHF 45.86

$59.2 CHF 46.98

-2.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.6 CHF 62.4

$73.5 CHF 58.3

6.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.52 CHF 37.73

Cinema Ticket

$26.56 CHF 21.09

$19.41 CHF 15.41

36.84%

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

$2,833 CHF 2,249

$3,408 CHF 2,705

-16.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 26.8K

$38.5K CHF 30.6K

-12.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 CHF 85.5

$141 CHF 112

-23.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.5 CHF 56.0

$61.3 CHF 48.69

15.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 118

$147 CHF 117

0.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 146

$205 CHF 163

-10.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 CHF 1,459

$1,699 CHF 1,348

8.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 CHF 1,147

$1,955 CHF 1,552

-26.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,615 CHF 2,870

$2,868 CHF 2,277

26.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,906 CHF 2,307

$4,615 CHF 3,664

-37.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.8K CHF 15.7K

$15.0K CHF 11.9K

32.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.3K CHF 11.4K

$11.6K CHF 9,221

23.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,240 CHF 5,748

$4,973 CHF 3,948

45.60%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for St. Moritz: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,837 in Lausanne and $1,699 in St. Moritz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lausanne pays 46% 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 $146 in St. Moritz. Groceries flip the comparison at $652 vs $670, with Lausanne 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. Moritz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lausanne and St. Moritz differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($3,595 vs $3,847 including rent). Lausanne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lausanne pays 46% 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: $1,837 in Lausanne versus $1,699 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 $147 versus $146 in St. Moritz. 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 $3,847 in St. Moritz – a 7% 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 7% less than in St. Moritz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.