Cost of Living Comparison Between Schwyz and Lausanne Cost of Living Comparison Between Schwyz and Lausanne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Schwyz versus $3,619 in Lausanne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,406 in Schwyz versus $5,781 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,311 in Schwyz versus $7,944 in Lausanne.

Living in Schwyz costs roughly 3% less than in Lausanne, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Schwyz 162% above, Lausanne 171% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.62 CHF 26.37

$32.44 CHF 26.23

0.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$151 CHF 122

$148 CHF 119

1.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.81 CHF 15.20

$19.05 CHF 15.40

-1.26%

Cappuccino

$6.87 CHF 5.56

$5.90 CHF 4.77

16.44%

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

$5.85 CHF 4.73

$5.41 CHF 4.38

8.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.49 CHF 4.44

$4.92 CHF 3.97

11.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 CHF 6.14

$10.12 CHF 8.18

-24.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.48 CHF 6.04

$8.85 CHF 7.16

-15.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.77

$2.24 CHF 1.81

-2.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 CHF 3.15

$4.09 CHF 3.31

-4.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.71 CHF 3.00

$4.37 CHF 3.53

-15.10%

Eggs

$8.15 CHF 6.59

$7.37 CHF 5.96

10.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.51 CHF 22.25

$26.35 CHF 21.31

4.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.53 CHF 26.30

$28.58 CHF 23.11

13.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.46 CHF 33.52

$53.2 CHF 42.99

-22.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 CHF 2.61

$3.80 CHF 3.07

-15.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.75

$2.15 CHF 1.74

0.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.02

$2.89 CHF 2.34

-13.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.16 CHF 5.79

$6.62 CHF 5.35

8.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 CHF 1.82

$2.43 CHF 1.97

-7.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 CHF 1.90

$2.41 CHF 1.95

-2.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.04

$2.53 CHF 2.04

-0.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 CHF 0.88

$1.40 CHF 1.14

-22.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.90 CHF 8.81

$11.03 CHF 8.92

-1.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.27 CHF 10.73

$15.39 CHF 12.44

-13.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 CHF 1.84

$2.10 CHF 1.69

8.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 CHF 1.87

$3.27 CHF 2.64

-29.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 CHF 3.13

$4.83 CHF 3.90

-19.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.7 CHF 79.8

$96.1 CHF 77.7

2.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 CHF 5.65

$7.67 CHF 6.20

-9.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.30 CHF 3.48

$3.42 CHF 2.77

25.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.0 CHF 63.9

$66.1 CHF 53.5

19.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.73

$2.18 CHF 1.76

-1.83%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.8K

$39.6K CHF 32.0K

2.47%

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

$41.0K CHF 33.2K

$40.6K CHF 32.9K

0.97%

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

$297 CHF 240

$331 CHF 267

-10.19%

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

$59.9 CHF 48.41

$50.0 CHF 40.44

19.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 CHF 43.38

$57.7 CHF 46.68

-7.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.2 CHF 71.3

$78.4 CHF 63.4

12.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.46 CHF 39.18

Cinema Ticket

$23.08 CHF 18.66

$26.35 CHF 21.31

-12.41%

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

$2,804 CHF 2,267

$2,843 CHF 2,298

-1.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.2K CHF 33.3K

$34.6K CHF 28.0K

18.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 CHF 89.1

$110 CHF 89.0

0.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 CHF 43.05

$69.2 CHF 55.9

-23.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$156 CHF 126

$153 CHF 124

1.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$191 CHF 154

$184 CHF 149

3.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CHF 1,356

$1,834 CHF 1,483

-8.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 CHF 1,164

$1,476 CHF 1,193

-2.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,824 CHF 2,283

$3,654 CHF 2,954

-22.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,478 CHF 2,004

$2,979 CHF 2,408

-16.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.6K CHF 13.5K

$18.6K CHF 15.0K

-10.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.1K CHF 11.4K

$14.2K CHF 11.5K

-0.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,127 CHF 5,762

$6,512 CHF 5,265

9.45%

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 Schwyz: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Schwyz and $1,834 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Schwyz pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $150 in Schwyz vs $148 in Lausanne. Groceries flip the comparison at $630 vs $655, with Schwyz cheaper for home cooking.

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

Schwyz vs Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Schwyz and Lausanne differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($3,500 vs $3,619 including rent). Schwyz is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Schwyz, 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: $1,677 in Schwyz versus $1,834 in Lausanne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Schwyz – a meal for two runs $150 versus $148 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,500 per month in Schwyz versus $3,619 in Lausanne – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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