Cost of Living Comparison Between Staefa and Lausanne Cost of Living Comparison Between Staefa and Lausanne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,468 in Staefa versus $3,497 in Lausanne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,299 in Staefa versus $5,694 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,130 in Staefa versus $7,890 in Lausanne.

Living in Staefa costs roughly 1% less than in Lausanne, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Staefa 159% above, Lausanne 161% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.93 CHF 24.25

$33.20 CHF 26.03

-6.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$150 CHF 117

$148 CHF 116

1.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.16 CHF 14.23

$19.38 CHF 15.19

-6.30%

Cappuccino

$6.29 CHF 4.93

$5.99 CHF 4.69

5.01%

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

$5.98 CHF 4.69

$5.58 CHF 4.38

7.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 CHF 4.21

$4.84 CHF 3.79

10.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.69 CHF 6.03

$10.03 CHF 7.87

-23.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 CHF 5.54

$8.43 CHF 6.61

-16.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.68

$2.17 CHF 1.70

-0.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 CHF 2.24

$4.11 CHF 3.22

-30.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.71 CHF 2.91

$4.45 CHF 3.49

-16.63%

Eggs

$8.18 CHF 6.41

$7.27 CHF 5.70

12.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.20 CHF 21.32

$26.33 CHF 20.64

3.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.43 CHF 25.42

$28.92 CHF 22.67

12.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$49.54 CHF 38.84

$52.0 CHF 40.77

-4.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 CHF 2.45

$3.79 CHF 2.97

-17.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 CHF 2.18

$2.10 CHF 1.65

31.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CHF 2.35

$2.89 CHF 2.26

3.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 CHF 4.09

$6.68 CHF 5.23

-22.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 CHF 2.22

$2.55 CHF 2.00

10.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 CHF 1.86

$2.35 CHF 1.84

0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 CHF 2.00

$2.60 CHF 2.04

-1.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CHF 0.99

$1.39 CHF 1.09

-9.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.87 CHF 8.52

$11.12 CHF 8.72

-2.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 CHF 12.20

$15.76 CHF 12.36

-1.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 CHF 2.12

$2.05 CHF 1.61

31.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 CHF 1.83

$3.17 CHF 2.49

-26.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.01 CHF 3.14

$4.72 CHF 3.70

-15.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.5 CHF 78.0

$97.3 CHF 76.3

2.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.60 CHF 5.17

$7.82 CHF 6.13

-15.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.13 CHF 3.24

$3.41 CHF 2.67

21.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.83 CHF 33.58

$67.8 CHF 53.1

-36.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.75

$2.24 CHF 1.76

-0.45%

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

$41.2K CHF 32.3K

$40.8K CHF 32.0K

1.03%

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

$38.8K CHF 30.4K

$41.6K CHF 32.6K

-6.77%

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

$255 CHF 200

$330 CHF 259

-22.68%

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

$36.01 CHF 28.23

$49.88 CHF 39.11

-27.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 CHF 41.40

$58.0 CHF 45.44

-8.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.5 CHF 67.9

$76.1 CHF 59.7

13.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.53 CHF 37.26

Cinema Ticket

$24.66 CHF 19.33

$26.14 CHF 20.50

-5.66%

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

$2,838 CHF 2,225

$2,812 CHF 2,205

0.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.5K CHF 31.0K

$34.5K CHF 27.1K

14.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 109

$110 CHF 86.2

26.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.4 CHF 48.90

$68.9 CHF 54.0

-9.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 CHF 118

-0.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 156

$188 CHF 147

5.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 CHF 1,355

$1,853 CHF 1,453

-6.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 CHF 1,147

$1,496 CHF 1,173

-2.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,779 CHF 2,179

$3,576 CHF 2,803

-22.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,482 CHF 1,946

$2,917 CHF 2,287

-14.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 9,688

$20.0K CHF 15.7K

-38.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.1K CHF 8,732

$15.3K CHF 12.0K

-27.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,994 CHF 6,267

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

2.5

-16.40%

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

Last update for Staefa: April 21, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,728 in Staefa and $1,853 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $150 in Staefa vs $148 in Lausanne. Groceries flip the comparison at $648 vs $653, with Staefa 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

Staefa vs Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Staefa and Lausanne differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($3,468 vs $3,497 including rent). Staefa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,202 in Staefa and $5,246 in Lausanne to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,728 in Staefa versus $1,853 in Lausanne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Staefa – a meal for two runs $150 versus $148 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,468 per month in Staefa versus $3,497 in Lausanne – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Staefa 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, Staefa 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 Staefa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.