Cost of Living Comparison Between Rapperswil and Lausanne Cost of Living Comparison Between Rapperswil and Lausanne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,316 in Rapperswil versus $3,595 in Lausanne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,004 in Rapperswil versus $5,762 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,693 in Rapperswil versus $7,930 in Lausanne.

Living in Rapperswil costs roughly 8% less than in Lausanne, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rapperswil 147% above, Lausanne 167% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.58 CHF 24.44

$32.90 CHF 26.29

-7.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 CHF 91.9

$147 CHF 118

-21.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.21 CHF 14.56

$19.29 CHF 15.42

-5.60%

Cappuccino

$5.53 CHF 4.42

$5.98 CHF 4.78

-7.53%

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

$5.61 CHF 4.48

$5.33 CHF 4.26

5.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 CHF 3.91

$4.95 CHF 3.95

-1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 CHF 6.06

$9.60 CHF 7.67

-21.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 CHF 4.80

$8.72 CHF 6.97

-31.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 CHF 0.92

$2.18 CHF 1.75

-47.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 CHF 0.87

$4.13 CHF 3.30

-73.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 CHF 1.94

$4.30 CHF 3.44

-43.72%

Eggs

$3.61 CHF 2.89

$7.03 CHF 5.62

-48.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.30 CHF 21.82

$26.28 CHF 21.01

3.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.21 CHF 25.75

$28.86 CHF 23.07

11.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.90 CHF 29.50

$51.6 CHF 41.28

-28.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.92

$3.62 CHF 2.89

-33.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 CHF 1.52

$2.10 CHF 1.68

-9.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 2.02

$2.95 CHF 2.35

-14.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 1.94

$6.67 CHF 5.33

-63.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 CHF 1.46

$2.52 CHF 2.01

-27.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 CHF 1.47

$2.43 CHF 1.94

-24.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 CHF 2.04

$2.54 CHF 2.03

0.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 CHF 0.48

$1.47 CHF 1.18

-59.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.99 CHF 8.79

$11.16 CHF 8.92

-1.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.41 CHF 9.12

$16.23 CHF 12.97

-29.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 CHF 0.68

$2.11 CHF 1.69

-59.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.91

$3.11 CHF 2.49

-23.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 CHF 3.06

$4.92 CHF 3.93

-22.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 CHF 79.8

$94.3 CHF 75.3

5.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.73 CHF 5.38

$7.89 CHF 6.31

-14.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.32 CHF 3.45

$3.28 CHF 2.62

31.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$78.5 CHF 62.8

$67.0 CHF 53.5

17.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 CHF 1.68

$2.25 CHF 1.80

-6.67%

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

$40.3K CHF 32.2K

$40.4K CHF 32.3K

-0.22%

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

$42.2K CHF 33.7K

$41.8K CHF 33.4K

0.82%

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

$332 CHF 266

$325 CHF 260

2.20%

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

$59.1 CHF 47.27

$50.8 CHF 40.61

16.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 CHF 42.29

$57.8 CHF 46.17

-8.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.6 CHF 71.7

$78.6 CHF 62.8

14.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.52 CHF 37.98

Cinema Ticket

$21.92 CHF 17.52

$26.56 CHF 21.23

-17.47%

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

$2,883 CHF 2,304

$2,833 CHF 2,264

1.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.1K CHF 27.3K

$33.8K CHF 27.0K

1.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 CHF 96.1

$108 CHF 86.1

11.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.17 CHF 29.71

$70.5 CHF 56.4

-47.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 CHF 80.3

$148 CHF 118

-32.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 CHF 48.41

$184 CHF 147

-67.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 CHF 1,350

$1,837 CHF 1,469

-8.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CHF 1,186

$1,445 CHF 1,155

2.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,873 CHF 2,296

$3,615 CHF 2,889

-20.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,440 CHF 1,950

$2,906 CHF 2,322

-16.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 13.0K

$19.8K CHF 15.8K

-17.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.7K CHF 9,369

$14.3K CHF 11.4K

-18.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,462 CHF 6,764

$7,240 CHF 5,787

16.88%

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 Rapperswil: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,690 in Rapperswil and $1,837 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rapperswil pays 17% 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 Rapperswil vs $147 in Lausanne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $504 vs $652 per month, with Rapperswil cheaper across the board.

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

Rapperswil vs Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rapperswil and Lausanne differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($3,316 vs $3,595 including rent). Rapperswil is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Rapperswil pays 17% more on average, 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: $1,690 in Rapperswil versus $1,837 in Lausanne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Rapperswil – a meal for two runs $115 versus $147 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,316 per month in Rapperswil versus $3,595 in Lausanne – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Rapperswil 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, Rapperswil 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 Rapperswil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.