Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Gallen and Lausanne Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Gallen and Lausanne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,529 in St. Gallen versus $3,619 in Lausanne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,441 in St. Gallen versus $5,781 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,353 in St. Gallen versus $7,944 in Lausanne.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Gallen 164% above, Lausanne 171% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.33 CHF 24.57

$32.44 CHF 26.28

-6.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 119

$148 CHF 120

-0.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.50 CHF 14.99

$19.05 CHF 15.43

-2.89%

Cappuccino

$6.36 CHF 5.15

$5.90 CHF 4.78

7.80%

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

$5.84 CHF 4.73

$5.41 CHF 4.38

7.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 CHF 4.32

$4.92 CHF 3.98

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.66 CHF 6.20

$10.12 CHF 8.19

-24.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 CHF 5.89

$8.85 CHF 7.17

-17.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$2.24 CHF 1.82

-1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 CHF 2.15

$4.09 CHF 3.31

-34.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 CHF 2.86

$4.37 CHF 3.54

-19.22%

Eggs

$8.31 CHF 6.73

$7.37 CHF 5.97

12.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.25 CHF 22.08

$26.35 CHF 21.35

3.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.23 CHF 26.10

$28.58 CHF 23.15

12.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.77 CHF 33.84

$53.2 CHF 43.07

-21.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 CHF 2.65

$3.80 CHF 3.08

-13.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 CHF 1.51

$2.15 CHF 1.74

-13.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 CHF 1.98

$2.89 CHF 2.34

-15.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.04 CHF 5.70

$6.62 CHF 5.36

6.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 2.05

$2.43 CHF 1.97

4.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 CHF 1.88

$2.41 CHF 1.95

-3.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 CHF 1.93

$2.53 CHF 2.05

-5.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CHF 0.90

$1.40 CHF 1.14

-20.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.80 CHF 8.75

$11.03 CHF 8.94

-2.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 CHF 9.34

$15.39 CHF 12.47

-25.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 CHF 1.77

$2.10 CHF 1.70

4.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.93

$3.27 CHF 2.65

-26.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.21 CHF 3.41

$4.83 CHF 3.91

-12.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.5 CHF 66.8

$96.1 CHF 77.8

-14.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 CHF 5.50

$7.67 CHF 6.21

-11.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.10 CHF 3.32

$3.42 CHF 2.77

19.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.4 CHF 64.3

$66.1 CHF 53.6

20.04%

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 32.9K

$39.6K CHF 32.1K

2.61%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.1K

$40.6K CHF 32.9K

0.43%

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

$324 CHF 262

$331 CHF 268

-2.07%

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

$59.4 CHF 48.09

$50.0 CHF 40.52

18.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 CHF 42.30

$57.7 CHF 46.77

-9.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.7 CHF 67.0

$78.4 CHF 63.5

5.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$100 CHF 81.0

$48.46 CHF 39.25

106.46%

Cinema Ticket

$31.00 CHF 25.11

$26.35 CHF 21.35

17.65%

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

$2,815 CHF 2,280

$2,843 CHF 2,303

-0.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.2K CHF 27.7K

$34.6K CHF 28.0K

-1.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 118

$110 CHF 89.1

31.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.6 CHF 52.3

$69.2 CHF 56.0

-6.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 128

$153 CHF 124

3.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 CHF 189

$184 CHF 149

26.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 CHF 1,471

$1,834 CHF 1,486

-0.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 CHF 1,211

$1,476 CHF 1,195

1.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,793 CHF 2,262

$3,654 CHF 2,960

-23.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 CHF 1,871

$2,979 CHF 2,413

-22.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 10.0K

$18.6K CHF 15.1K

-33.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,105 CHF 7,375

$14.2K CHF 11.5K

-35.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,998 CHF 5,668

$6,512 CHF 5,275

7.46%

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 St. Gallen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,816 in St. Gallen and $1,834 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $147 in St. Gallen vs $148 in Lausanne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $610 vs $655 per month, with St. Gallen 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

St. Gallen vs Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Gallen and Lausanne differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($3,529 vs $3,619 including rent). St. Gallen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% higher in St. Gallen, 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: $1,816 in St. Gallen 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 St. Gallen – a meal for two runs $147 versus $148 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,529 per month in St. Gallen 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 $2,500. St. Gallen 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, St. Gallen 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 St. Gallen 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.