Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Uster

For one person, living costs are similar in Lausanne and in Uster: $3,716 and $3,689 a month, rent and utilities included.

181

Cost of Living Index in Lausanne
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Lausanne Living Index
178

Cost of Living Index in Uster
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Uster Living Index

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Lausanne

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,716

/mo nomad

Uster

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lausanne and in Uster

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 Uster actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,716 in Lausanne versus $3,689 in Uster.

Lausanne $3,716
Uster $3,689

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,694 in Lausanne versus $5,289 in Uster.

Lausanne $5,694
Uster $5,289

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,671 in Lausanne versus $6,889 in Uster.

Lausanne $7,671
Uster $6,889

Living in Lausanne is roughly 1% more expensive than in Uster, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 175% above, Uster 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.26 CHF 24.92

$30.11 CHF 24.80

0.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 CHF 94.9

$120 CHF 98.7

-3.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.67 CHF 14.55

$18.34 CHF 15.10

-3.65%

Cappuccino

$6.17 CHF 5.08

$6.04 CHF 4.97

2.15%

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

$5.08 CHF 4.18

$5.33 CHF 4.39

-4.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 CHF 3.37

$4.79 CHF 3.95

-14.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.38 CHF 8.55

$8.59 CHF 7.08

20.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 CHF 8.12

$6.73 CHF 5.54

46.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.84

$2.23 CHF 1.83

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 CHF 3.24

$3.34 CHF 2.75

17.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.69

$4.39 CHF 3.61

-25.74%

Eggs

$7.05 CHF 5.81

$7.35 CHF 6.05

-4.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.39 CHF 20.09

$32.17 CHF 26.49

-24.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.45 CHF 22.61

$29.34 CHF 24.17

-6.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.74 CHF 31.91

$42.64 CHF 35.12

-9.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 CHF 2.85

$3.44 CHF 2.84

0.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 CHF 1.69

$2.10 CHF 1.73

-2.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 2.01

$2.81 CHF 2.31

-13.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 CHF 3.77

$4.58 CHF 3.78

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 CHF 1.46

$2.04 CHF 1.68

-13.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 CHF 1.64

$2.18 CHF 1.79

-8.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 CHF 1.62

$2.43 CHF 2.00

-18.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.36

$1.33 CHF 1.10

24.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.57 CHF 8.71

$10.65 CHF 8.77

-0.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.01 CHF 12.36

$12.97 CHF 10.69

15.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 CHF 2.25

$3.25 CHF 2.68

-15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CHF 2.57

$3.34 CHF 2.75

-6.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 CHF 3.65

$4.60 CHF 3.79

-3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.8 CHF 76.5

$99.8 CHF 82.2

-6.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 CHF 6.55

$5.46 CHF 4.50

45.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.57 CHF 3.76

$3.28 CHF 2.70

39.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.0 CHF 70.0

$59.4 CHF 48.94

43.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.87

$2.19 CHF 1.80

4.11%

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

$42.3K CHF 34.9K

$43.3K CHF 35.6K

-2.14%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

$39.7K CHF 32.7K

-0.29%

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

$292 CHF 240

$233 CHF 192

25.35%

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

$36.21 CHF 29.82

$31.89 CHF 26.26

13.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 CHF 41.62

$65.4 CHF 53.8

-22.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.0 CHF 57.7

$73.6 CHF 60.6

-4.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.43 CHF 39.07

$45.51 CHF 37.49

4.22%

Cinema Ticket

$24.44 CHF 20.13

$21.75 CHF 17.92

12.37%

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

$2,850 CHF 2,347

$1,802 CHF 1,484

58.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.1K CHF 30.5K

$32.6K CHF 26.8K

13.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 117

$164 CHF 135

-13.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.7 CHF 64.0

$86.4 CHF 71.1

-10.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 CHF 114

$143 CHF 118

-3.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$214 CHF 176

$173 CHF 142

23.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,256 CHF 1,858

$1,678 CHF 1,382

34.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 CHF 1,452

$1,759 CHF 1,448

0.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,291 CHF 3,534

$2,928 CHF 2,412

46.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,206 CHF 2,640

$2,382 CHF 1,962

34.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 15.0K

$15.9K CHF 13.1K

14.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.0K CHF 11.5K

$12.1K CHF 9,993

14.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,426 CHF 5,292

$6,850 CHF 5,642

-6.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

1.72

13.37%

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

Last update for Lausanne: October 13, 2026

Last update for Uster: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lausanne

$1.8K 47.5%

Uster

$1.8K 47.7% 0.3% $4.8

Groceries & Markets

Lausanne

$579 15.6%

Uster

$623 16.9% 7.6% $44

Eating Out

Lausanne

$477 12.9%

Uster

$465 12.6% 2.5% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lausanne

$379 10.2%

Uster

$330 9% 12.8% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Lausanne

$257 6.9%

Uster

$255 6.9% 0.9% $2.3

Getting Around

Lausanne

$141 3.8%

Uster

$140 3.8% 0.9% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Lausanne

$119 3.2%

Uster

$117 3.2% 1.5% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,256 in Lausanne and $1,678 in Uster. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Uster pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $115 in Lausanne vs $120 in Uster for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $579 vs $623 per month, with Lausanne cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Lausanne

🇨🇭 Uster

🕒 Local time

05:24 5:24 AM

Same time as Lausanne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

133,521

33,097

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Lausanne Uster 180 km

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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 Uster: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lausanne and Uster differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($3,716 vs $3,689 including rent). Uster is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Uster. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,256 in Lausanne versus $1,678 in Uster. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Uster – a meal for two runs $120 versus $115 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,716 per month in Lausanne versus $3,689 in Uster – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Uster 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 Uster 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 Uster gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.