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: $3,847 in St. Moritz versus $3,595 in Lausanne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,534 in St. Moritz versus $5,762 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,221 in St. Moritz versus $7,930 in Lausanne.

Living in St. Moritz is roughly 7% more expensive than Lausanne, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Moritz 186% above, Lausanne 167% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.18 CHF 24.75

$32.90 CHF 26.12

-5.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 116

$147 CHF 117

-0.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.71 CHF 11.68

$19.29 CHF 15.32

-23.74%

Cappuccino

$6.27 CHF 4.98

$5.98 CHF 4.75

4.85%

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

$5.48 CHF 4.35

$5.33 CHF 4.23

2.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 CHF 3.73

$4.95 CHF 3.93

-5.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.73 CHF 7.73

$9.60 CHF 7.62

1.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 CHF 4.81

$8.72 CHF 6.93

-30.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 CHF 1.06

$2.18 CHF 1.73

-38.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 CHF 2.70

$4.13 CHF 3.28

-17.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.94 CHF 3.13

$4.30 CHF 3.41

-8.37%

Eggs

$7.46 CHF 5.92

$7.03 CHF 5.58

6.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.03 CHF 23.05

$26.28 CHF 20.87

10.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.94 CHF 26.95

$28.86 CHF 22.91

17.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.8 CHF 40.32

$51.6 CHF 41.00

-1.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 CHF 3.29

$3.62 CHF 2.87

14.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.31

$2.10 CHF 1.67

38.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.50

$2.95 CHF 2.34

6.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 CHF 4.01

$6.67 CHF 5.29

-24.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CHF 2.17

$2.52 CHF 2.00

8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 CHF 1.82

$2.43 CHF 1.93

-5.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CHF 2.05

$2.54 CHF 2.01

1.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 CHF 1.33

$1.47 CHF 1.17

13.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CHF 8.95

$11.16 CHF 8.86

1.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.82 CHF 11.76

$16.23 CHF 12.88

-8.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 CHF 2.09

$2.11 CHF 1.67

25.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 CHF 2.56

$3.11 CHF 2.47

3.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.04 CHF 3.21

$4.92 CHF 3.90

-17.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.2 CHF 75.6

$94.3 CHF 74.8

1.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.52 CHF 5.97

$7.89 CHF 6.26

-4.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.54 CHF 3.61

$3.28 CHF 2.61

38.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.3 CHF 68.5

$67.0 CHF 53.2

28.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.80

$2.25 CHF 1.78

0.89%

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

$40.0K CHF 31.8K

$40.4K CHF 32.1K

-0.87%

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

$39.8K CHF 31.6K

$41.8K CHF 33.2K

-4.85%

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

$98.5 CHF 78.2

$325 CHF 258

-69.69%

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

$35.59 CHF 28.25

$50.8 CHF 40.33

-29.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 CHF 46.98

$57.8 CHF 45.86

2.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.5 CHF 58.3

$78.6 CHF 62.4

-6.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.52 CHF 37.73

Cinema Ticket

$19.41 CHF 15.41

$26.56 CHF 21.09

-26.92%

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

$3,408 CHF 2,705

$2,833 CHF 2,249

20.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$38.5K CHF 30.6K

$33.8K CHF 26.8K

14.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 CHF 112

$108 CHF 85.5

31.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 CHF 48.69

$70.5 CHF 56.0

-13.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 117

$148 CHF 118

-0.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$205 CHF 163

$184 CHF 146

11.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 CHF 1,348

$1,837 CHF 1,459

-7.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,955 CHF 1,552

$1,445 CHF 1,147

35.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,868 CHF 2,277

$3,615 CHF 2,870

-20.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,615 CHF 3,664

$2,906 CHF 2,307

58.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.0K CHF 11.9K

$19.8K CHF 15.7K

-24.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.6K CHF 9,221

$14.3K CHF 11.4K

-18.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,973 CHF 3,948

$7,240 CHF 5,748

-31.32%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in St. Moritz and $1,837 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lausanne pays 46% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $146 in St. Moritz vs $147 in Lausanne. Groceries flip the comparison at $670 vs $652, with Lausanne 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. Moritz vs Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Moritz and Lausanne differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($3,847 vs $3,595 including rent). Lausanne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lausanne earns 46% 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: $1,699 in St. Moritz versus $1,837 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 $146 in St. Moritz. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,847 per month in St. Moritz versus $3,595 in Lausanne – a 7% 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 7% less than in St. Moritz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.