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: $3,241 in Rapperswil versus $3,563 in Lausanne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,956 in Rapperswil versus $5,620 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,672 in Rapperswil versus $7,677 in Lausanne.

Living in Rapperswil costs roughly 9% less than in Lausanne, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rapperswil 143% above, Lausanne 167% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.47 CHF 24.91

$33.01 CHF 26.99

-7.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 CHF 94.3

$148 CHF 121

-22.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.60 CHF 15.21

$18.84 CHF 15.41

-1.27%

Cappuccino

$5.38 CHF 4.40

$5.85 CHF 4.79

-8.03%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.47

$5.35 CHF 4.38

2.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 CHF 4.15

$4.80 CHF 3.93

5.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.61 CHF 6.22

$9.64 CHF 7.88

-21.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 CHF 5.17

$8.51 CHF 6.96

-25.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 CHF 0.93

$2.18 CHF 1.78

-47.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 CHF 0.89

$4.20 CHF 3.44

-74.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 CHF 2.00

$4.32 CHF 3.53

-43.29%

Eggs

$3.80 CHF 3.10

$7.24 CHF 5.92

-47.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.52 CHF 22.51

$26.30 CHF 21.50

4.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$31.81 CHF 26.01

$28.79 CHF 23.54

10.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.08 CHF 30.32

$53.5 CHF 43.74

-30.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.04

$3.73 CHF 3.05

-33.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 CHF 1.52

$2.17 CHF 1.78

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.06

$2.91 CHF 2.38

-13.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 2.07

$6.62 CHF 5.41

-61.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 CHF 1.49

$2.44 CHF 2.00

-25.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 CHF 1.54

$2.41 CHF 1.97

-21.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 CHF 2.14

$2.61 CHF 2.14

0.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 CHF 0.50

$1.40 CHF 1.14

-56.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 CHF 8.98

$10.94 CHF 8.95

0.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 CHF 11.21

$15.85 CHF 12.96

-13.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 CHF 0.69

$2.05 CHF 1.67

-59.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 CHF 1.88

$3.20 CHF 2.62

-27.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 CHF 3.16

$4.86 CHF 3.97

-20.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.4 CHF 80.5

$95.5 CHF 78.1

3.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.93 CHF 5.66

$7.82 CHF 6.39

-11.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.34 CHF 3.55

$3.39 CHF 2.77

28.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$80.0 CHF 65.4

$65.5 CHF 53.6

22.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.74

$2.13 CHF 1.75

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

$40.7K CHF 33.3K

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

-1.01%

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

$42.0K CHF 34.3K

$41.8K CHF 34.2K

0.42%

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

$334 CHF 274

$327 CHF 267

2.31%

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

$60.1 CHF 49.13

$50.2 CHF 41.06

19.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 CHF 44.32

$58.3 CHF 47.66

-7.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.9 CHF 72.7

$78.0 CHF 63.8

13.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.32 CHF 39.51

Cinema Ticket

$22.28 CHF 18.22

$26.86 CHF 21.97

-17.05%

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

$2,817 CHF 2,304

$2,764 CHF 2,260

1.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.3K CHF 28.1K

$34.6K CHF 28.3K

-0.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 CHF 98.0

$107 CHF 87.7

11.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.87 CHF 30.15

$68.7 CHF 56.2

-46.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 CHF 81.9

$150 CHF 123

-33.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.9 CHF 50.6

$186 CHF 152

-66.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,687 CHF 1,379

$1,882 CHF 1,539

-10.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 CHF 1,221

$1,440 CHF 1,178

3.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,863 CHF 2,341

$3,639 CHF 2,975

-21.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,444 CHF 1,998

$2,977 CHF 2,435

-17.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.7K CHF 14.5K

$18.5K CHF 15.1K

-4.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.6K

$14.3K CHF 11.7K

-0.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,341 CHF 6,821

$6,398 CHF 5,232

30.37%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,687 in Rapperswil and $1,882 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rapperswil pays 30% 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 $148 in Lausanne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $510 vs $657 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 10% in total monthly costs ($3,241 vs $3,563 including rent). Rapperswil is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Rapperswil, 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: $1,687 in Rapperswil versus $1,882 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 $148 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,241 per month in Rapperswil versus $3,563 in Lausanne – a 10% 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 10% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.