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: $3,498 in Lausanne versus $3,865 in St. Moritz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,732 in Lausanne versus $6,642 in St. Moritz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,966 in Lausanne versus $9,420 in St. Moritz.

Living in Lausanne costs roughly 10% less than in St. Moritz, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 161% above, St. Moritz 189% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.00 CHF 26.10

$31.31 CHF 24.77

5.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 116

$150 CHF 118

-2.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.28 CHF 15.25

$15.03 CHF 11.89

28.28%

Cappuccino

$6.09 CHF 4.82

$6.14 CHF 4.86

-0.81%

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

$5.33 CHF 4.21

$5.46 CHF 4.32

-2.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 CHF 3.80

$4.76 CHF 3.76

0.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.02 CHF 7.93

$10.02 CHF 7.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.55 CHF 6.76

$6.03 CHF 4.77

41.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.80

$1.33 CHF 1.05

70.68%

White Bread (500g)

$4.10 CHF 3.25

$3.44 CHF 2.72

19.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 CHF 3.53

$4.11 CHF 3.25

8.52%

Eggs

$7.15 CHF 5.66

$7.45 CHF 5.90

-4.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.38 CHF 20.86

$29.79 CHF 23.56

-11.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.91 CHF 22.87

$33.95 CHF 26.85

-14.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$52.6 CHF 41.57

$50.4 CHF 39.84

4.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 CHF 2.89

$4.09 CHF 3.23

-10.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$2.92 CHF 2.31

-26.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$3.15 CHF 2.49

-6.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 CHF 5.19

$5.05 CHF 3.99

30.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 1.93

$2.82 CHF 2.23

-13.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.85

$2.31 CHF 1.82

1.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CHF 2.08

$2.51 CHF 1.99

4.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 CHF 1.11

$1.73 CHF 1.37

-19.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.02 CHF 8.72

$10.87 CHF 8.60

1.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 CHF 12.79

$15.15 CHF 11.98

6.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 CHF 1.59

$2.75 CHF 2.18

-26.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$3.21 CHF 2.54

0.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.86 CHF 3.84

$3.83 CHF 3.03

26.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 CHF 75.9

$94.2 CHF 74.5

1.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.86 CHF 6.22

$7.60 CHF 6.01

3.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 CHF 2.62

$4.58 CHF 3.63

-27.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.6 CHF 51.9

$86.6 CHF 68.5

-24.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.76

$2.24 CHF 1.77

-0.45%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.5K

$40.3K CHF 31.9K

-1.05%

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

$40.8K CHF 32.3K

$39.4K CHF 31.2K

3.48%

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

$324 CHF 256

$99.5 CHF 78.7

225.41%

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

$49.73 CHF 39.34

$36.21 CHF 28.64

37.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 CHF 46.22

$59.8 CHF 47.30

-2.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.4 CHF 61.3

$73.0 CHF 57.7

6.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.11 CHF 38.85

Cinema Ticket

$26.10 CHF 20.64

$19.20 CHF 15.19

35.94%

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

$2,823 CHF 2,233

$3,465 CHF 2,741

-18.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 27.4K

$39.6K CHF 31.3K

-12.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 CHF 85.5

$137 CHF 109

-21.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.2 CHF 55.5

$61.5 CHF 48.68

14.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 CHF 121

$150 CHF 118

2.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$187 CHF 148

$205 CHF 162

-8.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 CHF 1,490

$1,709 CHF 1,351

10.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 CHF 1,158

$1,982 CHF 1,568

-26.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,584 CHF 2,835

$2,826 CHF 2,236

26.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,901 CHF 2,295

$4,665 CHF 3,690

-37.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.0K CHF 15.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.0K CHF 11.8K

$12.8K CHF 10.1K

16.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,840 CHF 6,202

$4,994 CHF 3,950

57.00%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for St. Moritz: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,884 in Lausanne and $1,709 in St. Moritz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lausanne pays 57% 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 $150 in St. Moritz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $656 vs $674 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 11% in total monthly costs ($3,498 vs $3,865 including rent). Lausanne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lausanne pays 57% 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: $1,884 in Lausanne versus $1,709 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 $150 in St. Moritz. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,498 per month in Lausanne versus $3,865 in St. Moritz – a 11% 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 11% less than in St. Moritz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.