Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and St. Moritz

For one person, living is cheaper in St. Moritz: $3,626 a month against $3,837 in Lausanne, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lausanne outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

183

Cost of Living Index in Lausanne
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Lausanne Living Index
174

Cost of Living Index in St. Moritz
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St. Moritz Living Index

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Lausanne

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,837

/mo nomad

St. Moritz

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lausanne and in St. Moritz

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lausanne and in St. Moritz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,837 in Lausanne versus $3,626 in St. Moritz.

Lausanne $3,837
St. Moritz $3,626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,789 in Lausanne versus $6,508 in St. Moritz.

Lausanne $5,789
St. Moritz $6,508

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,741 in Lausanne versus $9,390 in St. Moritz.

Lausanne $7,741
St. Moritz $9,390

Living in Lausanne is roughly 6% more expensive than in St. Moritz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 182% above, St. Moritz 166% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.81 CHF 25.41

$34.20 CHF 28.21

-9.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$116 CHF 95.5

$143 CHF 118

-19.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.81 CHF 14.69

$14.40 CHF 11.88

23.68%

Cappuccino

$6.13 CHF 5.05

$5.90 CHF 4.87

3.90%

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

$5.17 CHF 4.27

$5.54 CHF 4.57

-6.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 CHF 3.42

$4.60 CHF 3.80

-9.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.14 CHF 8.37

$9.90 CHF 8.16

2.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.59 CHF 7.91

$6.03 CHF 4.97

59.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$1.81 CHF 1.49

22.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.81 CHF 3.15

$3.96 CHF 3.27

-3.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 CHF 2.70

$3.60 CHF 2.97

-8.89%

Eggs

$7.24 CHF 5.97

$7.67 CHF 6.32

-5.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.40 CHF 20.13

$27.09 CHF 22.35

-9.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.51 CHF 22.69

$28.89 CHF 23.83

-4.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.81 CHF 32.84

$60.5 CHF 49.92

-34.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 CHF 2.92

$4.09 CHF 3.37

-13.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.77

$2.75 CHF 2.27

-21.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.06

$3.60 CHF 2.97

-30.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 CHF 3.70

$4.59 CHF 3.79

-2.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CHF 1.53

$2.55 CHF 2.10

-27.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 CHF 1.60

$2.34 CHF 1.93

-17.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 CHF 1.64

$2.49 CHF 2.05

-20.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 CHF 1.39

$1.25 CHF 1.03

35.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.99 CHF 9.06

$10.77 CHF 8.89

2.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.96 CHF 12.34

$13.92 CHF 11.48

7.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 CHF 2.17

$2.88 CHF 2.37

-8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 CHF 2.58

$3.21 CHF 2.65

-2.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.68 CHF 3.86

$3.92 CHF 3.24

19.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.1 CHF 79.3

$92.6 CHF 76.4

3.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.94 CHF 6.55

$8.08 CHF 6.67

-1.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.45 CHF 3.67

$4.54 CHF 3.75

-1.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$83.5 CHF 68.9

$87.8 CHF 72.4

-4.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.90

$2.14 CHF 1.76

7.94%

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

$39.4K CHF 32.5K

$38.6K CHF 31.8K

2.06%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

$39.6K CHF 32.7K

-0.12%

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

$299 CHF 247

$96.8 CHF 79.9

208.73%

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

$37.02 CHF 30.53

$39.12 CHF 32.27

-5.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 CHF 43.02

$54.8 CHF 45.17

-4.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.6 CHF 58.3

$73.0 CHF 60.2

-3.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.90 CHF 40.34

Cinema Ticket

$24.49 CHF 20.20

$18.96 CHF 15.64

29.17%

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

$2,960 CHF 2,442

$3,402 CHF 2,807

-13.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.8K CHF 30.3K

$41.2K CHF 34.0K

-10.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$143 CHF 118

$140 CHF 115

2.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.8 CHF 65.0

$55.1 CHF 45.43

43.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 CHF 115

$161 CHF 133

-13.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$213 CHF 176

$249 CHF 205

-14.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,369 CHF 1,955

$1,794 CHF 1,480

32.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,863 CHF 1,537

$1,753 CHF 1,446

6.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,244 CHF 3,501

$5,403 CHF 4,457

-21.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,230 CHF 2,665

$4,730 CHF 3,902

-31.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 15.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.6K CHF 11.2K

$12.3K CHF 10.1K

10.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,587 CHF 5,434

$4,889 CHF 4,033

34.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

1.8

8.33%

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

Last update for Lausanne: October 27, 2026

Last update for St. Moritz: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lausanne

$1.9K 48.6%

St. Moritz

$1.8K 48.3% 5.9% $110

Groceries & Markets

Lausanne

$583 15.2%

St. Moritz

$670 18.5% 15.1% $88

Eating Out

Lausanne

$481 12.5%

St. Moritz

$490 13.5% 1.9% $9.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lausanne

$388 10.1%

St. Moritz

$191 5.3% 50.9% $197

Clothing & Footwear

Lausanne

$259 6.7%

St. Moritz

$272 7.5% 5.2% $13

Getting Around

Lausanne

$145 3.8%

St. Moritz

$139 3.8% 4.1% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Lausanne

$120 3.1%

St. Moritz

$111 3.1% 7.3% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,369 in Lausanne and $1,794 in St. Moritz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lausanne pays 35% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $116 in Lausanne vs $143 in St. Moritz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $583 vs $670 per month, with Lausanne cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Lausanne

🇨🇭 St. Moritz

🕒 Local time

07:08 7:08 AM

Same time as Lausanne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

133,521

5,000

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,837 in Lausanne and $3,626 in St. Moritz, so St. Moritz is about 6% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 35% 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: $2,369 in Lausanne versus $1,794 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 $116 versus $143 in St. Moritz. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,837 per month in Lausanne versus $3,626 in St. Moritz – St. Moritz is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. St. Moritz 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.

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