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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,776 in St. Moritz versus $3,604 in Lausanne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,503 in St. Moritz versus $5,688 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,229 in St. Moritz versus $7,772 in Lausanne.

Living in St. Moritz is roughly 5% more expensive than in Lausanne, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Moritz 184% above, Lausanne 171% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.00 CHF 25.22

$32.78 CHF 26.67

-5.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 119

$146 CHF 119

0.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.73 CHF 11.98

$18.83 CHF 15.31

-21.77%

Cappuccino

$6.32 CHF 5.14

$6.09 CHF 4.96

3.78%

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

$5.65 CHF 4.60

$5.33 CHF 4.34

6.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 CHF 3.66

$4.69 CHF 3.82

-4.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.75 CHF 7.93

$9.74 CHF 7.92

0.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 CHF 4.87

$8.36 CHF 6.80

-28.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 CHF 1.08

$2.16 CHF 1.76

-38.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 CHF 2.75

$4.05 CHF 3.30

-16.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 CHF 3.34

$4.52 CHF 3.68

-9.07%

Eggs

$7.60 CHF 6.18

$7.02 CHF 5.71

8.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.20 CHF 23.75

$26.66 CHF 21.69

9.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.92 CHF 26.78

$28.77 CHF 23.40

14.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.6 CHF 41.18

$52.7 CHF 42.88

-3.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 CHF 3.33

$3.79 CHF 3.09

7.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.35

$2.09 CHF 1.70

38.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 CHF 2.47

$2.81 CHF 2.29

8.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.20 CHF 4.23

$6.44 CHF 5.24

-19.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.23

$2.41 CHF 1.96

13.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.88

$2.40 CHF 1.96

-3.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CHF 2.01

$2.52 CHF 2.05

-1.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 CHF 1.40

$1.39 CHF 1.13

24.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.16 CHF 9.08

$11.22 CHF 9.12

-0.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 CHF 11.05

$15.40 CHF 12.53

-11.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 CHF 2.20

$2.03 CHF 1.65

33.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 CHF 2.70

$3.28 CHF 2.67

0.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 CHF 3.13

$4.91 CHF 4.00

-21.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.9 CHF 78.9

$94.9 CHF 77.2

2.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.52 CHF 6.12

$7.76 CHF 6.31

-3.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.46 CHF 3.63

$3.41 CHF 2.77

30.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.2 CHF 72.6

$66.8 CHF 54.4

33.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.82

$2.16 CHF 1.76

3.70%

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

$40.5K CHF 32.9K

$40.6K CHF 33.0K

-0.27%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.4K

$41.4K CHF 33.7K

-3.81%

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

$97.2 CHF 79.1

$321 CHF 261

-69.73%

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

$36.41 CHF 29.61

$51.0 CHF 41.50

-28.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 CHF 48.54

$59.6 CHF 48.44

0.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 CHF 60.8

$77.3 CHF 62.9

-3.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.41 CHF 34.50

$47.48 CHF 38.62

-10.68%

Cinema Ticket

$18.87 CHF 15.35

$26.09 CHF 21.22

-27.67%

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

$3,368 CHF 2,739

$2,837 CHF 2,308

18.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.7K CHF 32.3K

$34.5K CHF 28.1K

15.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 112

$107 CHF 87.2

28.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 CHF 50.6

$70.8 CHF 57.6

-12.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 CHF 123

$149 CHF 121

1.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 CHF 165

$183 CHF 149

10.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 CHF 1,385

$1,822 CHF 1,482

-6.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 CHF 1,621

$1,469 CHF 1,195

35.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,808 CHF 2,284

$3,656 CHF 2,973

-23.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,655 CHF 3,787

$2,968 CHF 2,414

56.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.6K CHF 12.7K

$18.5K CHF 15.0K

-15.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 9,957

$13.8K CHF 11.3K

-11.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,804 CHF 3,908

$6,703 CHF 5,452

-28.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.8

2.5

-28.00%

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

Last update for St. Moritz: July 25, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,702 in St. Moritz and $1,822 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lausanne pays 40% 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. Moritz vs $146 in Lausanne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $665 vs $652 per month, with Lausanne 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. Moritz vs Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Moritz and Lausanne differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($3,776 vs $3,604 including rent). Lausanne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in Lausanne. 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: $1,702 in St. Moritz versus $1,822 in Lausanne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lausanne – a meal for two runs $146 versus $147 in St. Moritz. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,776 per month in St. Moritz versus $3,604 in Lausanne – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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. Moritz 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 Lausanne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in St. Moritz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.