Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Lachen

For one person, living is cheaper in Lachen: $3,419 a month against $4,049 in London, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in London outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,049
/mo nomad
Lachen
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,419
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Lachen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in London and in Lachen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,049 in London versus $3,419 in Lachen.

  • London $4,049
  • Lachen $3,419

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,827 in London versus $5,218 in Lachen.

  • London $5,827
  • Lachen $5,218

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,605 in London versus $7,017 in Lachen.

  • London $7,605
  • Lachen $7,017

Living in London is roughly 18% more expensive than in Lachen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 199% above, Lachen 152% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Lachen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$27.09 £20.33
$33.00 CHF 27.18
-17.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$104 £78.3
$121 CHF 99.4
-13.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.86 £8.15
$16.33 CHF 13.45
-33.50%
Cappuccino
$5.60 £4.20
$6.19 CHF 5.10
-9.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05 £2.29
$5.68 CHF 4.68
-46.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 £1.71
$5.11 CHF 4.20
-55.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.23 £6.92
$8.44 CHF 6.95
9.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.95 £5.96
$9.62 CHF 7.92
-17.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Lachen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.83 £1.37
$2.16 CHF 1.78
-15.28%
White Bread (500g)
$2.05 £1.54
$3.39 CHF 2.79
-39.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.47 £1.86
$4.33 CHF 3.57
-42.96%
Eggs
$5.12 £3.84
$7.88 CHF 6.49
-35.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.89 £9.67
$26.48 CHF 21.81
-51.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.84 £8.14
$26.44 CHF 21.77
-59.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.03 £12.78
$39.73 CHF 32.72
-57.14%
Apples (1kg)
$3.07 £2.30
$3.49 CHF 2.87
-12.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 £1.03
$2.14 CHF 1.77
-35.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.99 £2.24
$2.63 CHF 2.17
13.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.39 £2.54
$4.78 CHF 3.94
-29.08%
Potato (1kg)
$1.60 £1.20
$2.01 CHF 1.65
-20.40%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 £1.35
$2.27 CHF 1.87
-20.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.41 £1.06
$2.44 CHF 2.01
-42.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.81 £1.36
$1.42 CHF 1.17
27.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.92 £17.94
$11.07 CHF 9.12
116.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.54 £10.16
$13.22 CHF 10.89
2.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.23 £2.42
$2.29 CHF 1.88
41.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.39 £3.29
$3.35 CHF 2.76
31.04%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Lachen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.92 £2.94
$3.85 CHF 3.17
1.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$243 £182
$110 CHF 90.7
120.53%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.58 £4.18
$7.70 CHF 6.34
-27.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.27 £2.46
$4.95 CHF 4.07
-33.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$58.4 £43.81
$86.9 CHF 71.6
-32.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.08 £1.56
$2.29 CHF 1.89
-9.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.8K £29.1K
$39.1K CHF 32.2K
-0.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.6K £30.5K
$39.8K CHF 32.8K
1.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Lachen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$380 £285
$231 CHF 190
64.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.62 £13.97
$31.78 CHF 26.18
-41.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.45 £30.35
$65.5 CHF 53.9
-38.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Lachen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.3 £45.95
$88.5 CHF 72.9
-30.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.41 £16.07
$47.80 CHF 39.37
-55.21%
Cinema Ticket
$18.09 £13.57
$21.69 CHF 17.86
-16.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Lachen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,905 £2,180
$2,846 CHF 2,344
2.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.5K £26.6K
$44.9K CHF 37.0K
-20.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Lachen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$116 £87.3
$139 CHF 114
-16.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.5 £40.89
$88.1 CHF 72.6
-38.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$128 £95.8
$147 CHF 121
-12.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$167 £125
$172 CHF 142
-3.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Lachen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,852 £2,140
$1,745 CHF 1,437
63.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,269 £1,702
$1,482 CHF 1,221
53.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,250 £3,939
$2,930 CHF 2,413
79.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,752 £2,815
$2,496 CHF 2,056
50.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.5K £13.9K
$16.2K CHF 13.3K
14.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,100 £6,077
$12.6K CHF 10.4K
-35.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Lachen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,109 £3,833
$9,670 CHF 7,965
-47.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.74
1.72
175.58%

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

Last update for London: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lachen: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.3K
Lachen
$1.5K 34.7% $787
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$439
Lachen
$328 25.3% $111
Eating Out
London
$400
Lachen
$492 23% $92
Groceries & Markets
London
$353
Lachen
$582 64.6% $228
Getting Around
London
$280
Lachen
$158 43.7% $122
Clothing & Footwear
London
$209
Lachen
$246 17.3% $36
Sport & Entertainment
London
$97
Lachen
$132 35.4% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,852 in London and $1,745 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 89% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $104 in London vs $121 in Lachen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $582 per month, with London cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇨🇭 Lachen
🕒 Local time
18:53 6:53 PM
19:53 7:53 PM
1 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
9,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Lachen 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • Lachen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
London vs Lachen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, London or Lachen?
Lachen wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in London. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lachen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in London or in Lachen?
On paper, salaries run 89% lower in Lachen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in London compared to Lachen?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,852 in London versus $1,745 in Lachen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in London compared to Lachen?
A monthly transit pass in Lachen runs roughly 121% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in London and in Lachen?
Childcare runs $2,905 in London versus $2,846 in Lachen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $2,000/month in London or in Lachen?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Lachen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city is better for digital nomads, London or Lachen?
Both work as nomad bases, but Lachen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,419 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lachen hard to pass up.
How safe is London compared to Lachen?
Safety-wise, London and Lachen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Lachen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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