Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Thun Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Thun

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,498 in Lausanne versus $3,501 in Thun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,732 in Lausanne versus $5,246 in Thun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,966 in Lausanne versus $6,990 in Thun.

Monthly costs are close between Lausanne and Thun; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 161% above, Thun 161% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.00 CHF 26.10

$28.18 CHF 22.29

17.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 116

$123 CHF 97.1

19.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.28 CHF 15.25

$17.14 CHF 13.56

12.49%

Cappuccino

$6.09 CHF 4.82

$5.95 CHF 4.70

2.35%

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

$5.33 CHF 4.21

$4.90 CHF 3.88

8.78%

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

$8.38 CHF 6.63

19.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.55 CHF 6.76

$7.61 CHF 6.02

12.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.80

$2.23 CHF 1.77

1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.10 CHF 3.25

$3.32 CHF 2.63

23.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 CHF 3.53

$4.22 CHF 3.33

5.69%

Eggs

$7.15 CHF 5.66

$7.17 CHF 5.67

-0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.38 CHF 20.86

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.91 CHF 22.87

$28.87 CHF 22.83

0.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$52.6 CHF 41.57

$41.55 CHF 32.87

26.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 CHF 2.89

$3.51 CHF 2.77

4.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$2.89 CHF 2.29

1.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 CHF 5.19

$6.54 CHF 5.18

0.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 1.93

$2.16 CHF 1.71

12.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.85

$2.16 CHF 1.71

8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CHF 2.08

$2.55 CHF 2.02

3.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 CHF 1.11

$1.14 CHF 0.90

22.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.02 CHF 8.72

$11.20 CHF 8.86

-1.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 CHF 12.79

$12.95 CHF 10.25

24.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 CHF 1.59

$1.91 CHF 1.51

5.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$2.28 CHF 1.80

41.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.86 CHF 3.84

$3.82 CHF 3.02

27.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 CHF 75.9

$96.8 CHF 76.6

-0.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.86 CHF 6.22

$7.80 CHF 6.17

0.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 CHF 2.62

$3.38 CHF 2.67

-1.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.6 CHF 51.9

$66.0 CHF 52.2

-0.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.76

$2.26 CHF 1.79

-1.33%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.5K

$40.3K CHF 31.9K

-1.11%

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

$40.8K CHF 32.3K

$41.5K CHF 32.8K

-1.53%

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

$324 CHF 256

$365 CHF 288

-11.23%

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

$49.73 CHF 39.34

$58.9 CHF 46.59

-15.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 CHF 46.22

$59.2 CHF 46.86

-1.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.4 CHF 61.3

$87.1 CHF 68.9

-11.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.11 CHF 38.85

Cinema Ticket

$26.10 CHF 20.64

$24.76 CHF 19.59

5.41%

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

$2,823 CHF 2,233

$3,063 CHF 2,423

-7.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 27.4K

$33.4K CHF 26.4K

3.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 CHF 85.5

$150 CHF 119

-27.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.2 CHF 55.5

$70.0 CHF 55.4

0.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 CHF 121

$175 CHF 139

-13.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$187 CHF 148

$186 CHF 147

0.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 CHF 1,490

$1,703 CHF 1,347

10.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 CHF 1,158

$1,451 CHF 1,148

0.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,584 CHF 2,835

$2,808 CHF 2,221

27.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,901 CHF 2,295

$2,498 CHF 1,976

16.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.0K CHF 15.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.0K CHF 11.8K

$7,743 CHF 6,125

93.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,840 CHF 6,202

$6,607 CHF 5,226

18.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

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

Last update for Lausanne: April 25, 2026

Last update for Thun: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,884 in Lausanne and $1,703 in Thun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lausanne pays 19% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $147 in Lausanne vs $123 in Thun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $656 vs $599 per month, with Thun 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 Thun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lausanne pays 19% 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 $1,703 in Thun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lausanne runs roughly 1% less than in Thun. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Thun pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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 Thun are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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