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: $3,251 in Rapperswil versus $3,497 in Lausanne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,906 in Rapperswil versus $5,694 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,562 in Rapperswil versus $7,890 in Lausanne.

Living in Rapperswil costs roughly 7% less than in Lausanne, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rapperswil 143% above, Lausanne 161% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.61 CHF 24.00

$33.20 CHF 26.03

-7.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$116 CHF 90.6

$148 CHF 116

-21.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.50 CHF 14.51

$19.38 CHF 15.19

-4.54%

Cappuccino

$5.57 CHF 4.37

$5.99 CHF 4.69

-7.01%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.28

$5.58 CHF 4.38

-2.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 CHF 3.90

$4.84 CHF 3.79

2.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.31 CHF 5.73

$10.03 CHF 7.87

-27.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 CHF 4.80

$8.43 CHF 6.61

-27.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 CHF 0.90

$2.17 CHF 1.70

-47.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 CHF 0.85

$4.11 CHF 3.22

-73.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 CHF 1.87

$4.45 CHF 3.49

-46.29%

Eggs

$3.60 CHF 2.82

$7.27 CHF 5.70

-50.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.64 CHF 21.67

$26.33 CHF 20.64

4.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$31.79 CHF 24.92

$28.92 CHF 22.67

9.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.72 CHF 28.79

$52.0 CHF 40.77

-29.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 CHF 1.94

$3.79 CHF 2.97

-34.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 CHF 1.42

$2.10 CHF 1.65

-13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 CHF 1.96

$2.89 CHF 2.26

-13.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 1.98

$6.68 CHF 5.23

-62.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 CHF 1.47

$2.55 CHF 2.00

-26.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 CHF 1.42

$2.35 CHF 1.84

-22.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CHF 2.04

$2.60 CHF 2.04

0.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 CHF 0.51

$1.39 CHF 1.09

-53.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.77 CHF 8.45

$11.12 CHF 8.72

-3.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.65 CHF 9.13

$15.76 CHF 12.36

-26.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 CHF 0.65

$2.05 CHF 1.61

-59.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 CHF 1.81

$3.17 CHF 2.49

-27.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.86 CHF 3.03

$4.72 CHF 3.70

-18.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.1 CHF 76.1

$97.3 CHF 76.3

-0.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 CHF 5.30

$7.82 CHF 6.13

-13.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.19 CHF 3.28

$3.41 CHF 2.67

22.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.6 CHF 62.4

$67.8 CHF 53.1

17.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.67

$2.24 CHF 1.76

-4.91%

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

$41.0K CHF 32.2K

$40.8K CHF 32.0K

0.60%

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

$41.9K CHF 32.8K

$41.6K CHF 32.6K

0.63%

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

$326 CHF 256

$330 CHF 259

-1.18%

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

$59.8 CHF 46.84

$49.88 CHF 39.11

19.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 CHF 41.70

$58.0 CHF 45.44

-8.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.3 CHF 67.7

$76.1 CHF 59.7

13.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.53 CHF 37.26

Cinema Ticket

$22.04 CHF 17.28

$26.14 CHF 20.50

-15.68%

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

$2,842 CHF 2,228

$2,812 CHF 2,205

1.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.9K CHF 27.3K

$34.5K CHF 27.1K

1.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$121 CHF 95.0

$110 CHF 86.2

10.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.59 CHF 28.68

$68.9 CHF 54.0

-46.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 CHF 78.7

$150 CHF 118

-33.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.5 CHF 48.20

$188 CHF 147

-67.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 CHF 1,333

$1,853 CHF 1,453

-8.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 CHF 1,143

$1,496 CHF 1,173

-2.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,840 CHF 2,227

$3,576 CHF 2,803

-20.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,510 CHF 1,968

$2,917 CHF 2,287

-13.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K CHF 9,409

$20.0K CHF 15.7K

-40.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,897 CHF 7,759

$15.3K CHF 12.0K

-35.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,603 CHF 6,745

$7,994 CHF 6,267

7.62%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,700 in Rapperswil and $1,853 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rapperswil 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 Rapperswil vs $148 in Lausanne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $504 vs $653 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 ($3,251 vs $3,497 including rent). Rapperswil is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Rapperswil pays 8% 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: $1,700 in Rapperswil versus $1,853 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 $116 versus $148 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,251 per month in Rapperswil versus $3,497 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.