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: $3,531 in Lausanne versus $3,597 in Thun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,650 in Lausanne versus $5,313 in Thun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,768 in Lausanne versus $7,030 in Thun.

Living in Lausanne costs roughly 2% less than in Thun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 165% above, Thun 170% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.34 CHF 25.65

$27.60 CHF 21.89

17.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 118

$124 CHF 98.7

20.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.18 CHF 15.21

$17.49 CHF 13.87

9.66%

Cappuccino

$6.07 CHF 4.82

$5.83 CHF 4.62

4.12%

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

$5.42 CHF 4.30

$4.82 CHF 3.83

12.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 CHF 3.73

$4.63 CHF 3.67

1.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.64 CHF 7.65

$8.23 CHF 6.53

17.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 CHF 7.04

$7.56 CHF 6.00

17.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.77

$2.16 CHF 1.71

3.24%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 CHF 3.33

$3.27 CHF 2.60

28.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.38 CHF 3.47

$4.19 CHF 3.32

4.53%

Eggs

$7.10 CHF 5.63

$7.15 CHF 5.67

-0.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.79 CHF 21.25

$26.31 CHF 20.86

1.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.49 CHF 22.59

$28.87 CHF 22.90

-1.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$53.4 CHF 42.35

$40.88 CHF 32.42

30.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 CHF 3.00

$3.37 CHF 2.67

12.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 CHF 1.66

$2.07 CHF 1.64

0.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 CHF 2.25

$2.77 CHF 2.20

2.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.68 CHF 5.30

$6.60 CHF 5.23

1.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 CHF 1.95

$2.20 CHF 1.74

11.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.90

$2.17 CHF 1.72

10.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CHF 2.06

$2.44 CHF 1.93

6.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CHF 1.17

$1.09 CHF 0.87

34.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 CHF 8.68

$10.88 CHF 8.63

0.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.48 CHF 13.07

$12.39 CHF 9.83

33.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 CHF 1.68

$1.98 CHF 1.57

7.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 CHF 2.57

$2.35 CHF 1.87

37.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.88 CHF 3.87

$3.99 CHF 3.17

22.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.3 CHF 74.8

$96.7 CHF 76.7

-2.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.69 CHF 6.10

$7.81 CHF 6.19

-1.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.37 CHF 2.67

$3.26 CHF 2.59

3.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.5 CHF 53.5

$66.9 CHF 53.1

0.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.77

$2.16 CHF 1.71

3.24%

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

$40.8K CHF 32.4K

$41.1K CHF 32.6K

-0.65%

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

$40.8K CHF 32.4K

$41.9K CHF 33.3K

-2.61%

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

$321 CHF 255

$372 CHF 295

-13.55%

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

$50.5 CHF 40.03

$58.3 CHF 46.26

-13.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 CHF 47.34

$58.2 CHF 46.18

2.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.6 CHF 60.8

$87.9 CHF 69.7

-12.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.51 CHF 37.68

Cinema Ticket

$26.91 CHF 21.34

$24.20 CHF 19.20

11.20%

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

$2,769 CHF 2,196

$3,086 CHF 2,447

-10.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 27.0K

$34.2K CHF 27.1K

-0.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 CHF 86.7

$151 CHF 120

-27.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.0 CHF 55.5

$68.5 CHF 54.3

2.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 CHF 121

$173 CHF 137

-11.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$182 CHF 144

$188 CHF 149

-3.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,885 CHF 1,495

$1,709 CHF 1,355

10.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 CHF 1,154

$1,479 CHF 1,173

-1.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 CHF 2,809

$2,846 CHF 2,257

24.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,920 CHF 2,316

$2,433 CHF 1,930

20.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.6K

$7,503 CHF 5,951

94.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,573 CHF 6,006

$6,019 CHF 4,773

25.82%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Thun: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,885 in Lausanne and $1,709 in Thun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lausanne pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $149 in Lausanne vs $124 in Thun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $660 vs $592 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 and Thun differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($3,531 vs $3,597 including rent). Lausanne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lausanne pays 26% 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: $1,885 in Lausanne versus $1,709 in Thun. 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 $149 versus $124 in Thun. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,531 per month in Lausanne versus $3,597 in Thun – a 2% 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 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.

Expats usually find Lausanne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Thun. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.