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: $3,865 in St. Moritz versus $3,498 in Lausanne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,642 in St. Moritz versus $5,732 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,420 in St. Moritz versus $7,966 in Lausanne.

Living in St. Moritz is roughly 11% more expensive than Lausanne, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Moritz 189% above, Lausanne 161% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.31 CHF 24.74

$33.00 CHF 26.07

-5.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$150 CHF 118

$147 CHF 116

2.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.03 CHF 11.88

$19.28 CHF 15.23

-22.04%

Cappuccino

$6.14 CHF 4.85

$6.09 CHF 4.81

0.82%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.31

$5.33 CHF 4.21

2.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 CHF 3.76

$4.80 CHF 3.79

-0.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.02 CHF 7.91

$10.02 CHF 7.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 CHF 4.76

$8.55 CHF 6.76

-29.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 CHF 1.05

$2.27 CHF 1.80

-41.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 CHF 2.72

$4.10 CHF 3.24

-16.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 CHF 3.25

$4.46 CHF 3.52

-7.85%

Eggs

$7.45 CHF 5.89

$7.15 CHF 5.65

4.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.79 CHF 23.53

$26.38 CHF 20.84

12.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.95 CHF 26.82

$28.91 CHF 22.84

17.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.4 CHF 39.79

$52.6 CHF 41.52

-4.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 CHF 3.23

$3.66 CHF 2.89

11.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 CHF 2.31

$2.15 CHF 1.69

35.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.49

$2.94 CHF 2.32

7.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 CHF 3.99

$6.57 CHF 5.19

-23.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 CHF 2.23

$2.44 CHF 1.93

15.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.82

$2.34 CHF 1.85

-1.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$2.63 CHF 2.08

-4.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 CHF 1.36

$1.40 CHF 1.11

23.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.87 CHF 8.59

$11.02 CHF 8.71

-1.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.15 CHF 11.97

$16.17 CHF 12.77

-6.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 CHF 2.18

$2.01 CHF 1.59

36.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 CHF 2.53

$3.23 CHF 2.55

-0.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 CHF 3.02

$4.86 CHF 3.84

-21.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.2 CHF 74.4

$96.0 CHF 75.8

-1.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.60 CHF 6.00

$7.86 CHF 6.21

-3.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.58 CHF 3.62

$3.32 CHF 2.62

37.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.6 CHF 68.4

$65.6 CHF 51.8

32.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$2.23 CHF 1.76

0.45%

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

$40.3K CHF 31.8K

$39.9K CHF 31.5K

1.06%

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

$39.4K CHF 31.2K

$40.8K CHF 32.2K

-3.36%

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

$99.5 CHF 78.6

$324 CHF 256

-69.27%

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

$36.21 CHF 28.61

$49.73 CHF 39.29

-27.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 CHF 47.24

$58.4 CHF 46.16

2.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.0 CHF 57.7

$77.4 CHF 61.2

-5.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.11 CHF 38.80

Cinema Ticket

$19.20 CHF 15.17

$26.10 CHF 20.62

-26.44%

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

$3,465 CHF 2,738

$2,823 CHF 2,230

22.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.6K CHF 31.3K

$34.6K CHF 27.4K

14.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 108

$108 CHF 85.4

26.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.5 CHF 48.62

$70.2 CHF 55.5

-12.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 CHF 118

$153 CHF 121

-2.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$205 CHF 162

$187 CHF 148

9.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 CHF 1,350

$1,884 CHF 1,488

-9.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 CHF 1,566

$1,465 CHF 1,157

35.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 CHF 2,233

$3,584 CHF 2,831

-21.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,665 CHF 3,685

$2,901 CHF 2,292

60.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.0K CHF 15.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.8K CHF 10.1K

$15.0K CHF 11.8K

-14.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,994 CHF 3,945

$7,840 CHF 6,194

-36.30%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,709 in St. Moritz and $1,884 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lausanne pays 57% 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 St. Moritz vs $147 in Lausanne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $674 vs $656 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 11% in total monthly costs ($3,865 vs $3,498 including rent). Lausanne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lausanne earns 57% 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: $1,709 in St. Moritz versus $1,884 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 $147 versus $150 in St. Moritz. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,865 per month in St. Moritz versus $3,498 in Lausanne – a 11% 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 11% less than in St. Moritz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.