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: $3,758 in St. Moritz versus $3,900 in Lausanne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,619 in St. Moritz versus $5,943 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,479 in St. Moritz versus $7,986 in Lausanne.

Living in St. Moritz costs roughly 4% less than in Lausanne, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Moritz 173% above, Lausanne 183% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$37.71 CHF 30.78

$30.85 CHF 25.18

22.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 120

$120 CHF 97.9

22.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.97 CHF 12.22

$18.94 CHF 15.45

-20.96%

Cappuccino

$6.34 CHF 5.18

$6.21 CHF 5.07

2.09%

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

$5.52 CHF 4.51

$5.26 CHF 4.30

4.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 CHF 3.73

$4.32 CHF 3.53

5.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.78 CHF 7.98

$10.68 CHF 8.72

-8.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 CHF 5.16

$9.99 CHF 8.15

-36.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 CHF 1.52

$2.25 CHF 1.84

-17.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.89 CHF 3.17

$4.07 CHF 3.32

-4.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.84 CHF 3.13

$3.32 CHF 2.71

15.66%

Eggs

$7.50 CHF 6.12

$7.13 CHF 5.82

5.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.52 CHF 22.46

$24.97 CHF 20.38

10.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.09 CHF 22.11

$28.48 CHF 23.25

-4.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$62.2 CHF 50.8

$40.00 CHF 32.65

55.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 CHF 3.38

$3.73 CHF 3.04

10.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 CHF 2.35

$2.17 CHF 1.77

32.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.51 CHF 2.87

$2.62 CHF 2.14

33.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.85 CHF 3.96

$4.76 CHF 3.88

1.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 CHF 2.10

$1.81 CHF 1.48

42.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 CHF 1.78

$1.99 CHF 1.62

9.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CHF 2.12

$2.05 CHF 1.68

26.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CHF 1.04

$1.71 CHF 1.39

-25.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.03 CHF 9.00

$10.90 CHF 8.90

1.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.32 CHF 10.87

$15.21 CHF 12.42

-12.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 CHF 2.32

$2.74 CHF 2.23

4.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 CHF 2.65

$3.33 CHF 2.72

-2.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 CHF 3.15

$4.55 CHF 3.72

-15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.6 CHF 78.0

$95.4 CHF 77.8

0.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.57 CHF 6.99

$7.80 CHF 6.36

9.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.82 CHF 3.93

$4.71 CHF 3.85

2.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$91.1 CHF 74.4

$85.7 CHF 69.9

6.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

$2.27 CHF 1.85

-0.88%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.5K

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

-6.97%

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

$40.7K CHF 33.2K

$40.0K CHF 32.7K

1.68%

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

$97.1 CHF 79.3

$295 CHF 240

-67.03%

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

$39.52 CHF 32.25

$37.56 CHF 30.65

5.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.2 CHF 47.46

$51.2 CHF 41.78

13.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 CHF 60.2

$72.5 CHF 59.2

1.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.4 CHF 41.15

Cinema Ticket

$19.30 CHF 15.75

$24.31 CHF 19.84

-20.61%

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

$3,671 CHF 2,996

$3,018 CHF 2,463

21.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.2K CHF 35.2K

$37.2K CHF 30.3K

16.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$148 CHF 121

$145 CHF 118

2.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 CHF 49.73

$78.1 CHF 63.8

-21.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$171 CHF 140

$144 CHF 118

18.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$265 CHF 216

$217 CHF 177

21.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,874 CHF 1,529

$2,280 CHF 1,861

-17.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 CHF 1,435

$1,848 CHF 1,508

-4.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,636 CHF 4,599

$4,387 CHF 3,580

28.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,841 CHF 3,950

$3,275 CHF 2,672

47.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.8K CHF 15.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.6K CHF 10.3K

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

-13.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,853 CHF 3,961

$7,014 CHF 5,724

-30.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.8

1.95

-7.69%

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

Last update for St. Moritz: September 8, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,874 in St. Moritz and $2,280 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lausanne pays 45% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $147 in St. Moritz vs $120 in Lausanne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $669 vs $597 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 4% in total monthly costs ($3,758 vs $3,900 including rent). St. Moritz is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 45% 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: $1,874 in St. Moritz versus $2,280 in Lausanne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in St. Moritz – a meal for two runs $147 versus $120 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,758 per month in St. Moritz versus $3,900 in Lausanne – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. St. Moritz 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 St. Moritz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.