Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Yens Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Yens

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,565 in Lausanne versus $3,511 in Yens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,676 in Lausanne versus $5,311 in Yens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,788 in Lausanne versus $7,111 in Yens.

Living in Lausanne is roughly 2% more expensive than Yens, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 166% above, Yens 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.84 CHF 25.98

$30.64 CHF 24.24

7.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$145 CHF 115

0.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.73 CHF 14.82

$18.91 CHF 14.96

-0.95%

Cappuccino

$6.07 CHF 4.80

$6.15 CHF 4.87

-1.30%

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

$5.59 CHF 4.43

$5.34 CHF 4.23

4.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 CHF 3.72

$4.87 CHF 3.85

-3.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.64 CHF 7.62

$9.92 CHF 7.85

-2.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.41 CHF 6.65

$7.43 CHF 5.88

13.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.73

$2.17 CHF 1.71

0.92%

White Bread (500g)

$4.17 CHF 3.30

$3.84 CHF 3.04

8.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 CHF 3.55

$4.52 CHF 3.57

-0.88%

Eggs

$7.01 CHF 5.54

$7.10 CHF 5.62

-1.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.22 CHF 20.74

$26.46 CHF 20.94

-0.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.78 CHF 22.76

$28.53 CHF 22.57

0.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$52.0 CHF 41.11

$43.82 CHF 34.67

18.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 CHF 2.85

$3.64 CHF 2.88

-1.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 CHF 1.74

$2.11 CHF 1.67

3.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.33

$2.81 CHF 2.22

4.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.43 CHF 5.09

$6.57 CHF 5.20

-2.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 CHF 1.99

$2.44 CHF 1.93

2.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$2.33 CHF 1.84

0.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 1.97

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CHF 1.10

$1.46 CHF 1.15

-4.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.93 CHF 8.65

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 CHF 12.75

$13.76 CHF 10.89

17.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 CHF 1.59

$2.02 CHF 1.60

-0.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CHF 2.53

$3.12 CHF 2.47

2.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.74 CHF 3.75

$3.95 CHF 3.12

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.6 CHF 77.2

$98.7 CHF 78.1

-1.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.98 CHF 6.31

$8.10 CHF 6.41

-1.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 CHF 2.58

$3.37 CHF 2.66

-3.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.6 CHF 53.4

$66.2 CHF 52.4

2.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$2.19 CHF 1.73

-1.83%

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

$41.1K CHF 32.5K

$40.0K CHF 31.7K

2.62%

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

$41.7K CHF 33.0K

$41.6K CHF 32.9K

0.21%

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

$322 CHF 255

$304 CHF 240

5.99%

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

$50.3 CHF 39.79

$51.1 CHF 40.45

-1.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 CHF 45.57

$57.7 CHF 45.65

-0.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 CHF 60.1

$89.6 CHF 70.9

-15.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.71 CHF 37.74

Cinema Ticket

$26.56 CHF 21.01

$23.13 CHF 18.29

14.83%

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

$2,763 CHF 2,186

$2,554 CHF 2,020

8.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K CHF 27.2K

$33.7K CHF 26.7K

1.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 CHF 87.2

$107 CHF 85.0

2.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.2 CHF 55.6

$70.9 CHF 56.1

-0.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 118

$151 CHF 120

-1.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 146

$184 CHF 146

0.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CHF 1,451

$1,711 CHF 1,353

7.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 CHF 1,176

$1,451 CHF 1,148

2.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,523 CHF 2,787

$2,872 CHF 2,272

22.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,944 CHF 2,329

$2,427 CHF 1,920

21.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.6K CHF 15.5K

$15.7K CHF 12.4K

24.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.4K CHF 11.4K

$10.6K CHF 8,359

36.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,571 CHF 5,989

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 2, 2026

Last update for Yens: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,834 in Lausanne and $1,711 in Yens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $145 in Lausanne vs $145 in Yens. Groceries flip the comparison at $651 vs $618, with Yens 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 Yens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lausanne and Yens differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($3,565 vs $3,511 including rent). Yens is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,347 in Lausanne and $5,266 in Yens 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: $1,834 in Lausanne versus $1,711 in Yens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Yens – a meal for two runs $145 versus $145 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,565 per month in Lausanne versus $3,511 in Yens – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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