Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Neuchatel and Lausanne

For one person, living is cheaper in Neuchatel: $3,172 a month against $3,716 in Lausanne, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Neuchatel
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Neuchatel Living Index
181

Cost of Living Index in Lausanne
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Lausanne Living Index

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Neuchatel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,172

/mo nomad

Lausanne

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Neuchatel and in Lausanne

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,172 in Neuchatel versus $3,716 in Lausanne.

Neuchatel $3,172
Lausanne $3,716

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,877 in Neuchatel versus $5,694 in Lausanne.

Neuchatel $4,877
Lausanne $5,694

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,583 in Neuchatel versus $7,671 in Lausanne.

Neuchatel $6,583
Lausanne $7,671

Living in Neuchatel costs roughly 15% less than in Lausanne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Neuchatel 135% above, Lausanne 175% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.68 CHF 21.98

$30.26 CHF 24.92

-11.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$116 CHF 95.6

$115 CHF 94.9

0.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.96 CHF 14.79

$17.67 CHF 14.55

1.64%

Cappuccino

$5.90 CHF 4.86

$6.17 CHF 5.08

-4.38%

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

$3.98 CHF 3.28

$5.08 CHF 4.18

-21.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 CHF 2.76

$4.09 CHF 3.37

-18.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.38 CHF 7.73

$10.38 CHF 8.55

-9.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CHF 5.93

$9.86 CHF 8.12

-26.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 CHF 1.70

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-7.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 CHF 2.54

$3.94 CHF 3.24

-21.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CHF 2.63

$3.26 CHF 2.69

-2.15%

Eggs

$6.84 CHF 5.63

$7.05 CHF 5.81

-2.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.39 CHF 20.91

$24.39 CHF 20.09

4.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.24 CHF 22.43

$27.45 CHF 22.61

-0.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.83 CHF 32.80

$38.74 CHF 31.91

2.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.61

$3.47 CHF 2.85

-8.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.77

$2.05 CHF 1.69

4.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.39

$2.44 CHF 2.01

19.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 CHF 3.78

$4.58 CHF 3.77

0.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 CHF 1.37

$1.77 CHF 1.46

-6.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 CHF 1.61

$1.99 CHF 1.64

-1.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$1.97 CHF 1.62

12.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CHF 1.00

$1.66 CHF 1.36

-27.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.92 CHF 8.99

$10.57 CHF 8.71

3.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.01 CHF 9.90

$15.01 CHF 12.36

-19.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 CHF 2.10

$2.74 CHF 2.25

-7.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CHF 2.08

$3.12 CHF 2.57

-19.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 CHF 2.42

$4.43 CHF 3.65

-33.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.8 CHF 75.6

$92.8 CHF 76.5

-1.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.91 CHF 6.51

$7.96 CHF 6.55

-0.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.26 CHF 3.51

$4.57 CHF 3.76

-6.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$76.4 CHF 62.9

$85.0 CHF 70.0

-10.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 CHF 1.92

$2.28 CHF 1.87

2.19%

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

$38.9K CHF 32.0K

$42.3K CHF 34.9K

-8.13%

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

$38.4K CHF 31.6K

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

-2.99%

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

$240 CHF 198

$292 CHF 240

-17.75%

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

$45.61 CHF 37.56

$36.21 CHF 29.82

25.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.94 CHF 34.54

$50.5 CHF 41.62

-17.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 CHF 80.5

$70.0 CHF 57.7

39.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.55 CHF 34.22

$47.43 CHF 39.07

-12.40%

Cinema Ticket

$21.62 CHF 17.80

$24.44 CHF 20.13

-11.54%

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

$2,467 CHF 2,032

$2,850 CHF 2,347

-13.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.2K CHF 21.6K

$37.1K CHF 30.5K

-29.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 CHF 103

$142 CHF 117

-12.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 CHF 41.35

$77.7 CHF 64.0

-35.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 121

$138 CHF 114

6.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 CHF 119

$214 CHF 176

-32.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 CHF 1,368

$2,256 CHF 1,858

-26.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 CHF 1,130

$1,763 CHF 1,452

-22.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,627 CHF 2,164

$4,291 CHF 3,534

-38.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,373 CHF 1,954

$3,206 CHF 2,640

-25.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.7K CHF 17.0K

$18.2K CHF 15.0K

13.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.5K CHF 11.1K

$14.0K CHF 11.5K

-3.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,930 CHF 5,707

$6,426 CHF 5,292

7.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.87

1.95

-4.10%

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

Last update for Neuchatel: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Neuchatel

$1.4K 43.2%

Lausanne

$1.8K 47.5% 28.6% $392

Groceries & Markets

Neuchatel

$561 17.7%

Lausanne

$579 15.6% 3.2% $18

Eating Out

Neuchatel

$429 13.5%

Lausanne

$477 12.9% 11.3% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Neuchatel

$328 10.3%

Lausanne

$379 10.2% 15.6% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Neuchatel

$210 6.6%

Lausanne

$257 6.9% 22.8% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Neuchatel

$141 4.4%

Lausanne

$119 3.2% 15.7% $22

Getting Around

Neuchatel

$133 4.2%

Lausanne

$141 3.8% 6.5% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Neuchatel and $2,256 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Neuchatel pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $116 in Neuchatel vs $115 in Lausanne. Groceries flip the comparison at $561 vs $579, with Neuchatel cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Neuchatel

🇨🇭 Lausanne

🕒 Local time

06:16 6:16 AM

Same time as Neuchatel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,641

133,521

💱 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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Neuchatel Lausanne 57 km

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Neuchatel
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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

Neuchatel vs Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Neuchatel and Lausanne differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($3,172 vs $3,716 including rent). Neuchatel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Neuchatel, 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: $1,662 in Neuchatel versus $2,256 in Lausanne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Neuchatel – a meal for two runs $116 versus $115 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,172 per month in Neuchatel versus $3,716 in Lausanne – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Neuchatel 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, Neuchatel and Lausanne 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 Neuchatel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.