Cost of Living Comparison Between Lugano and Lausanne Cost of Living Comparison Between Lugano and Lausanne

🙂 Solo nomad: Lugano is 2.8% cheaper than Lausanne without rent, and 10.3% cheaper with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Lugano is 0.4% more expensive than Lausanne without rent, and 3.3% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lugano
Lausanne
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$30.61 CHF 23.91
$33.21 CHF 25.94
-7.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$181 CHF 141
$150 CHF 117
20.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$18.58 CHF 14.51
$19.06 CHF 14.89
-2.52%
Cappuccino
$4.48 CHF 3.50
$5.95 CHF 4.65
-24.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.75 CHF 3.71
$5.42 CHF 4.24
-12.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.02 CHF 3.14
$4.70 CHF 3.67
-14.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.53 CHF 5.88
$9.78 CHF 7.64
-23.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.26 CHF 5.67
$8.53 CHF 6.66
-14.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lugano
Lausanne
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.25 CHF 1.76
$2.17 CHF 1.70
3.69%
White Bread (500g)
$3.48 CHF 2.72
$4.10 CHF 3.20
-15.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.91 CHF 3.83
$4.35 CHF 3.40
12.87%
Eggs
$6.97 CHF 5.45
$7.33 CHF 5.72
-4.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$26.82 CHF 20.95
$26.07 CHF 20.36
2.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$36.39 CHF 28.42
$29.04 CHF 22.68
25.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$46.96 CHF 36.68
$53.0 CHF 41.39
-11.40%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CHF 2.45
$3.66 CHF 2.85
-14.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 CHF 1.54
$2.09 CHF 1.63
-5.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.60 CHF 2.03
$2.82 CHF 2.20
-7.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.60 CHF 5.94
$6.71 CHF 5.24
13.26%
Potato (1kg)
$2.28 CHF 1.78
$2.46 CHF 1.92
-7.32%
Onion (1kg)
$2.22 CHF 1.73
$2.36 CHF 1.85
-5.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.58 CHF 2.01
$2.50 CHF 1.95
3.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 CHF 0.97
$1.39 CHF 1.08
-10.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.80 CHF 8.44
$10.95 CHF 8.55
-1.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.06 CHF 10.20
$16.06 CHF 12.54
-18.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.65 CHF 2.07
$2.10 CHF 1.64
26.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.15 CHF 3.24
$3.18 CHF 2.48
30.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Lugano
Lausanne
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.15 CHF 2.46
$4.76 CHF 3.72
-33.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$87.7 CHF 68.5
$97.4 CHF 76.1
-9.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.79 CHF 5.30
$7.86 CHF 6.14
-13.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.40 CHF 3.44
$3.43 CHF 2.68
28.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$62.1 CHF 48.52
$67.6 CHF 52.8
-8.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.14 CHF 1.67
$2.17 CHF 1.70
-1.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.3K CHF 31.4K
$40.1K CHF 31.3K
0.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.7K CHF 29.5K
$40.8K CHF 31.9K
-7.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lugano
Lausanne
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$203 CHF 159
$320 CHF 250
-36.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$71.9 CHF 56.1
$51.5 CHF 40.25
39.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.8 CHF 41.98
$57.6 CHF 45.01
-6.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lugano
Lausanne
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$107 CHF 83.5
$78.7 CHF 61.5
35.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$62.7 CHF 48.94
$48.02 CHF 37.50
30.49%
Cinema Ticket
$18.33 CHF 14.32
$26.28 CHF 20.53
-30.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lugano
Lausanne
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,230 CHF 961
$2,755 CHF 2,151
-55.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.5K CHF 27.8K
$34.3K CHF 26.8K
3.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lugano
Lausanne
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$123 CHF 96.2
$107 CHF 83.5
15.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.97 CHF 37.46
$69.9 CHF 54.6
-31.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$133 CHF 104
$150 CHF 117
-11.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$152 CHF 119
$183 CHF 143
-16.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lugano
Lausanne
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,686 CHF 1,317
$1,829 CHF 1,428
-7.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,249 CHF 976
$1,464 CHF 1,143
-14.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,789 CHF 2,178
$3,651 CHF 2,851
-23.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,654 CHF 2,073
$2,972 CHF 2,321
-10.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$17.7K CHF 13.8K
$19.7K CHF 15.4K
-10.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$13.3K CHF 10.4K
$15.5K CHF 12.1K
-13.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lugano
Lausanne
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,824 CHF 5,330
$7,950 CHF 6,209
-14.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.5
2.5
-

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

Last update for Lugano: February 28, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: March 1, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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