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: $3,569 in St. Gallen versus $3,565 in Lausanne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,433 in St. Gallen versus $5,676 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,296 in St. Gallen versus $7,788 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs are close between St. Gallen and Lausanne; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Gallen 166% above, Lausanne 166% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.20 CHF 23.81

$32.84 CHF 25.89

-8.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 117

$145 CHF 114

2.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.33 CHF 14.45

$18.73 CHF 14.77

-2.14%

Cappuccino

$6.23 CHF 4.91

$6.07 CHF 4.79

2.64%

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

$5.87 CHF 4.63

$5.59 CHF 4.41

5.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 CHF 4.24

$4.70 CHF 3.71

14.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 CHF 5.81

$9.64 CHF 7.60

-23.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 CHF 5.64

$8.41 CHF 6.63

-14.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.76

$2.19 CHF 1.73

1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CHF 2.11

$4.17 CHF 3.29

-35.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 CHF 2.82

$4.48 CHF 3.53

-20.09%

Eggs

$8.15 CHF 6.42

$7.01 CHF 5.52

16.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.21 CHF 21.45

$26.22 CHF 20.67

3.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.59 CHF 25.69

$28.78 CHF 22.69

13.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.95 CHF 32.29

$52.0 CHF 40.97

-21.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 CHF 2.47

$3.60 CHF 2.84

-13.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 CHF 1.46

$2.19 CHF 1.73

-15.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 CHF 2.03

$2.95 CHF 2.32

-12.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.26 CHF 5.72

$6.43 CHF 5.07

12.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 CHF 2.02

$2.51 CHF 1.98

1.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.85

$2.35 CHF 1.85

-0.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CHF 1.84

$2.49 CHF 1.96

-6.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CHF 0.87

$1.39 CHF 1.09

-20.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.04 CHF 8.71

$10.93 CHF 8.62

1.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.81 CHF 9.31

$16.11 CHF 12.70

-26.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 CHF 1.70

$2.01 CHF 1.59

7.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 CHF 1.82

$3.20 CHF 2.52

-27.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.32 CHF 3.41

$4.74 CHF 3.73

-8.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.6 CHF 63.5

$97.6 CHF 77.0

-17.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.86 CHF 5.41

$7.98 CHF 6.29

-14.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.20 CHF 3.31

$3.26 CHF 2.57

28.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.0 CHF 62.3

$67.6 CHF 53.3

16.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 CHF 1.66

$2.15 CHF 1.70

-2.33%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.5K

$41.1K CHF 32.4K

-2.80%

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

$41.5K CHF 32.7K

$41.7K CHF 32.9K

-0.59%

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

$332 CHF 262

$322 CHF 254

3.03%

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

$59.3 CHF 46.73

$50.3 CHF 39.66

17.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 CHF 41.63

$57.6 CHF 45.42

-8.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.2 CHF 64.1

$76.0 CHF 59.9

6.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$99.3 CHF 78.3

$47.71 CHF 37.61

108.22%

Cinema Ticket

$30.30 CHF 23.89

$26.56 CHF 20.94

14.08%

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

$2,792 CHF 2,202

$2,763 CHF 2,178

1.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.9K CHF 27.5K

$34.4K CHF 27.1K

1.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$148 CHF 117

$110 CHF 86.9

34.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.8 CHF 51.1

$70.2 CHF 55.4

-7.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$156 CHF 123

$149 CHF 117

5.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$238 CHF 187

$185 CHF 146

28.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 CHF 1,431

$1,834 CHF 1,446

-1.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 CHF 1,203

$1,486 CHF 1,172

2.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 CHF 2,154

$3,523 CHF 2,777

-22.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,369 CHF 1,868

$2,944 CHF 2,321

-19.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K CHF 8,511

$19.6K CHF 15.4K

-44.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,655 CHF 6,823

$14.4K CHF 11.4K

-40.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,138 CHF 5,628

$7,571 CHF 5,969

-5.71%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,814 in St. Gallen and $1,834 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lausanne pays 6% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $149 in St. Gallen vs $145 in Lausanne. Groceries flip the comparison at $611 vs $651, with St. Gallen 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

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

On paper, Lausanne earns 6% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,814 in St. Gallen versus $1,834 in Lausanne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lausanne runs roughly 21% less than in St. Gallen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in St. Gallen pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lausanne 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.

It comes down to priorities – Lausanne wins on affordability, St. Gallen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.