Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rapperswil and Lausanne

For one person, living is cheaper in Rapperswil: $3,330 a month against $3,837 in Lausanne, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rapperswil, Switzerland
Lausanne, Switzerland
Rapperswil
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,330
/mo nomad
Lausanne
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rapperswil 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 Rapperswil and in Lausanne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,330 in Rapperswil versus $3,837 in Lausanne.

  • Rapperswil $3,330
  • Lausanne $3,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,029 in Rapperswil versus $5,789 in Lausanne.

  • Rapperswil $5,029
  • Lausanne $5,789

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,729 in Rapperswil versus $7,741 in Lausanne.

  • Rapperswil $6,729
  • Lausanne $7,741

Living in Rapperswil costs roughly 13% less than in Lausanne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rapperswil 145% above, Lausanne 182% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rapperswil
Lausanne
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.80 CHF 19.73
$30.81 CHF 25.54
-22.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$95.5 CHF 79.2
$116 CHF 95.9
-17.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$16.02 CHF 13.28
$17.81 CHF 14.76
-10.05%
Cappuccino
$6.08 CHF 5.04
$6.13 CHF 5.08
-0.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.70 CHF 3.90
$5.17 CHF 4.29
-9.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.82 CHF 3.99
$4.15 CHF 3.44
16.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.65 CHF 7.17
$10.14 CHF 8.41
-14.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.00 CHF 4.97
$9.59 CHF 7.95
-37.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rapperswil
Lausanne
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.14 CHF 1.78
$2.22 CHF 1.84
-3.60%
White Bread (500g)
$3.39 CHF 2.81
$3.81 CHF 3.16
-11.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.35 CHF 3.61
$3.28 CHF 2.72
32.62%
Eggs
$7.80 CHF 6.46
$7.24 CHF 6.00
7.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$26.76 CHF 22.18
$24.40 CHF 20.23
9.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$26.19 CHF 21.71
$27.51 CHF 22.80
-4.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$40.71 CHF 33.74
$39.81 CHF 33.00
2.26%
Apples (1kg)
$3.60 CHF 2.98
$3.54 CHF 2.93
1.69%
Banana (1kg)
$2.15 CHF 1.78
$2.15 CHF 1.78
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.62 CHF 2.17
$2.49 CHF 2.07
5.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.81 CHF 3.98
$4.49 CHF 3.72
7.13%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 CHF 1.69
$1.86 CHF 1.54
9.68%
Onion (1kg)
$2.19 CHF 1.82
$1.94 CHF 1.60
12.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.32 CHF 1.92
$1.99 CHF 1.65
16.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 CHF 1.13
$1.69 CHF 1.40
-18.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.74 CHF 8.90
$10.99 CHF 9.11
-2.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.18 CHF 10.93
$14.96 CHF 12.40
-11.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.25 CHF 1.86
$2.64 CHF 2.18
-14.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 CHF 2.85
$3.13 CHF 2.60
9.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Rapperswil
Lausanne
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.37 CHF 3.62
$4.68 CHF 3.88
-6.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$100.0 CHF 82.9
$96.1 CHF 79.6
4.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.56 CHF 6.26
$7.94 CHF 6.58
-4.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.97 CHF 4.12
$4.45 CHF 3.69
11.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$88.3 CHF 73.2
$83.5 CHF 69.2
5.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.17 CHF 1.80
$2.31 CHF 1.91
-6.06%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.6K CHF 32.8K
$39.4K CHF 32.7K
0.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.9K CHF 32.2K
$39.6K CHF 32.8K
-1.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rapperswil
Lausanne
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$237 CHF 196
$299 CHF 248
-20.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$31.70 CHF 26.27
$37.02 CHF 30.68
-14.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$65.1 CHF 54.0
$52.2 CHF 43.22
24.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rapperswil
Lausanne
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$88.7 CHF 73.5
$70.6 CHF 58.6
25.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$45.22 CHF 37.48
$48.90 CHF 40.53
-7.53%
Cinema Ticket
$21.76 CHF 18.03
$24.49 CHF 20.30
-11.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rapperswil
Lausanne
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,879 CHF 2,386
$2,960 CHF 2,453
-2.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$43.7K CHF 36.2K
$36.8K CHF 30.5K
18.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rapperswil
Lausanne
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$141 CHF 117
$143 CHF 119
-1.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$88.1 CHF 73.0
$78.8 CHF 65.3
11.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$149 CHF 124
$139 CHF 116
6.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$174 CHF 144
$213 CHF 177
-18.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rapperswil
Lausanne
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,769 CHF 1,466
$2,369 CHF 1,964
-25.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,478 CHF 1,225
$1,863 CHF 1,544
-20.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,984 CHF 2,473
$4,244 CHF 3,517
-29.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,524 CHF 2,092
$3,230 CHF 2,678
-21.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$16.6K CHF 13.7K
$18.4K CHF 15.3K
-10.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$12.6K CHF 10.5K
$13.6K CHF 11.2K
-6.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rapperswil
Lausanne
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$6,587 CHF 5,460
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.72
1.95
-11.79%

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

Last update for Rapperswil: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rapperswil
$1.5K
Lausanne
$1.9K 26% $385
Groceries & Markets
Rapperswil
$583
Lausanne
$583 0.2% $0.9
Eating Out
Rapperswil
$405
Lausanne
$481 18.7% $76
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rapperswil
$333
Lausanne
$388 16.4% $55
Clothing & Footwear
Rapperswil
$248
Lausanne
$259 4.1% $10
Getting Around
Rapperswil
$150
Lausanne
$145 3.3% $4.9
Sport & Entertainment
Rapperswil
$132
Lausanne
$120 9.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,769 in Rapperswil and $2,369 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $96 in Rapperswil vs $116 in Lausanne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $583 vs $583 per month, with Rapperswil cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇭 Rapperswil
🇨🇭 Lausanne
🕒 Local time
12:58 12:58 PM
12:58 12:58 PM
Same time as Rapperswil
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
26,354
133,521
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.829 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.923 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rapperswil Lausanne 180 km
From you
  • Rapperswil
  • Lausanne

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
Rapperswil vs Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Rapperswil and in Lausanne?
Rapperswil and Lausanne differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($3,330 vs $3,837 including rent). Rapperswil is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Rapperswil compared to Lausanne?
You’d need roughly $4,995 in Rapperswil and $5,756 in Lausanne to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Rapperswil and in Lausanne?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,769 in Rapperswil versus $2,369 in Lausanne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Rapperswil and in Lausanne?
A monthly transit pass in Lausanne runs roughly 4% less than in Rapperswil. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.
Which city is more expensive overall: Rapperswil or Lausanne?
All in, you’ll spend $3,330 per month in Rapperswil versus $3,837 in Lausanne – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is feasible on a $3,000 budget?
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.
How does quality of life compare between Rapperswil and Lausanne?
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.
Is Rapperswil or Lausanne safer for residents?
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.

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