Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Staefa Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Staefa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,595 in Lausanne versus $3,423 in Staefa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,762 in Lausanne versus $5,287 in Staefa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,930 in Lausanne versus $7,152 in Staefa.

Living in Lausanne is roughly 5% more expensive than Staefa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 167% above, Staefa 155% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.90 CHF 26.12

$30.40 CHF 24.14

8.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 117

$148 CHF 118

-0.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.29 CHF 15.32

$18.33 CHF 14.56

5.24%

Cappuccino

$5.98 CHF 4.75

$6.32 CHF 5.01

-5.38%

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

$5.33 CHF 4.23

$5.75 CHF 4.57

-7.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 CHF 3.93

$5.27 CHF 4.19

-6.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.62

$7.68 CHF 6.10

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.72 CHF 6.93

$7.21 CHF 5.72

20.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.73

$2.25 CHF 1.78

-3.11%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 CHF 3.28

$2.75 CHF 2.19

50.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 CHF 3.41

$3.63 CHF 2.89

18.46%

Eggs

$7.03 CHF 5.58

$7.86 CHF 6.24

-10.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.28 CHF 20.87

$27.86 CHF 22.12

-5.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.86 CHF 22.91

$32.36 CHF 25.69

-10.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.6 CHF 41.00

$50.7 CHF 40.22

1.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CHF 2.87

$3.16 CHF 2.51

14.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.67

$2.78 CHF 2.21

-24.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.34

$3.04 CHF 2.41

-2.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.67 CHF 5.29

$5.26 CHF 4.17

26.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.00

$2.83 CHF 2.25

-10.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 1.93

$2.38 CHF 1.89

2.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 2.01

$2.50 CHF 1.98

1.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CHF 1.17

$1.21 CHF 0.96

21.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.16 CHF 8.86

$11.19 CHF 8.89

-0.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 CHF 12.88

$14.88 CHF 11.81

9.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 CHF 1.67

$2.76 CHF 2.19

-23.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CHF 2.47

$2.39 CHF 1.90

30.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.92 CHF 3.90

$3.96 CHF 3.15

24.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.3 CHF 74.8

$98.1 CHF 77.9

-3.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 CHF 6.26

$6.91 CHF 5.48

14.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.28 CHF 2.61

$4.16 CHF 3.30

-21.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.0 CHF 53.2

$43.78 CHF 34.76

53.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.78

$2.24 CHF 1.78

0.45%

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

$40.4K CHF 32.1K

$41.2K CHF 32.7K

-2.03%

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

$41.8K CHF 33.2K

$39.8K CHF 31.6K

5.01%

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

$325 CHF 258

$260 CHF 206

25.08%

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

$50.8 CHF 40.33

$36.00 CHF 28.58

41.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 CHF 45.86

$52.4 CHF 41.58

10.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.6 CHF 62.4

$88.2 CHF 70.0

-10.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.52 CHF 37.73

Cinema Ticket

$26.56 CHF 21.09

$24.37 CHF 19.35

8.99%

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

$2,833 CHF 2,249

$2,875 CHF 2,283

-1.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 26.8K

$39.6K CHF 31.4K

-14.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 CHF 85.5

$139 CHF 110

-22.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.5 CHF 56.0

$61.6 CHF 48.90

14.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 118

$149 CHF 118

-0.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 146

$199 CHF 158

-7.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 CHF 1,459

$1,667 CHF 1,323

10.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 CHF 1,147

$1,487 CHF 1,180

-2.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,615 CHF 2,870

$2,853 CHF 2,265

26.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,906 CHF 2,307

$2,471 CHF 1,962

17.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.8K CHF 15.7K

$14.9K CHF 11.8K

33.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.3K CHF 11.4K

$12.7K CHF 10.1K

12.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,240 CHF 5,748

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

2.09

19.62%

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

Last update for Lausanne: June 6, 2026

Last update for Staefa: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,837 in Lausanne and $1,667 in Staefa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $147 in Lausanne vs $148 in Staefa. Groceries flip the comparison at $652 vs $650, with Staefa 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 Staefa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lausanne and Staefa differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($3,595 vs $3,423 including rent). Staefa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,392 in Lausanne and $5,134 in Staefa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,837 in Lausanne versus $1,667 in Staefa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Staefa – a meal for two runs $148 versus $147 in Lausanne. 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 $3,423 in Staefa – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Staefa 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 Staefa 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 Staefa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.