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: $3,444 in Staefa versus $3,563 in Lausanne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,370 in Staefa versus $5,620 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,295 in Staefa versus $7,677 in Lausanne.

Living in Staefa costs roughly 3% less than in Lausanne, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Staefa 158% above, Lausanne 167% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.05 CHF 25.39

$33.01 CHF 26.99

-5.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 121

-0.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.71 CHF 15.30

$18.84 CHF 15.41

-0.69%

Cappuccino

$6.44 CHF 5.26

$5.85 CHF 4.79

10.09%

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

$5.66 CHF 4.63

$5.35 CHF 4.38

5.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 CHF 4.40

$4.80 CHF 3.93

12.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 CHF 6.20

$9.64 CHF 7.88

-21.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 CHF 5.66

$8.51 CHF 6.96

-18.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

$2.18 CHF 1.78

3.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 CHF 2.26

$4.20 CHF 3.44

-34.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 CHF 2.87

$4.32 CHF 3.53

-18.98%

Eggs

$8.14 CHF 6.66

$7.24 CHF 5.92

12.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.56 CHF 22.53

$26.30 CHF 21.50

4.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.68 CHF 26.72

$28.79 CHF 23.54

13.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.1 CHF 40.97

$53.5 CHF 43.74

-6.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.59

$3.73 CHF 3.05

-15.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 CHF 2.30

$2.17 CHF 1.78

29.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CHF 2.45

$2.91 CHF 2.38

3.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 CHF 4.23

$6.62 CHF 5.41

-21.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 CHF 2.30

$2.44 CHF 2.00

15.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.91

$2.41 CHF 1.97

-2.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CHF 2.07

$2.61 CHF 2.14

-3.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CHF 1.04

$1.40 CHF 1.14

-9.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.29 CHF 9.23

$10.94 CHF 8.95

3.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.46 CHF 11.01

$15.85 CHF 12.96

-15.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 CHF 2.18

$2.05 CHF 1.67

30.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 CHF 1.89

$3.20 CHF 2.62

-27.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 CHF 3.13

$4.86 CHF 3.97

-21.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 CHF 81.0

$95.5 CHF 78.1

3.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.68 CHF 5.46

$7.82 CHF 6.39

-14.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.17 CHF 3.41

$3.39 CHF 2.77

23.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.69 CHF 34.91

$65.5 CHF 53.6

-34.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.82

$2.13 CHF 1.75

4.23%

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

$40.0K CHF 32.7K

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

-2.63%

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

$40.1K CHF 32.8K

$41.8K CHF 34.2K

-3.98%

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

$260 CHF 213

$327 CHF 267

-20.47%

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

$35.12 CHF 28.72

$50.2 CHF 41.06

-30.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 CHF 44.09

$58.3 CHF 47.66

-7.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.6 CHF 73.3

$78.0 CHF 63.8

14.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.32 CHF 39.51

Cinema Ticket

$24.96 CHF 20.41

$26.86 CHF 21.97

-7.07%

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

$2,865 CHF 2,343

$2,764 CHF 2,260

3.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.5K CHF 32.3K

$34.6K CHF 28.3K

14.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$140 CHF 114

$107 CHF 87.7

30.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 CHF 49.95

$68.7 CHF 56.2

-11.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 CHF 119

$150 CHF 123

-3.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 162

$186 CHF 152

6.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 CHF 1,398

$1,882 CHF 1,539

-9.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,466 CHF 1,199

$1,440 CHF 1,178

1.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,797 CHF 2,287

$3,639 CHF 2,975

-23.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,423 CHF 1,981

$2,977 CHF 2,435

-18.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.1K CHF 13.2K

$18.5K CHF 15.1K

-12.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.8K CHF 8,798

$14.3K CHF 11.7K

-24.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,398 CHF 5,232

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,710 in Staefa and $1,882 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $148 in Staefa vs $148 in Lausanne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $647 vs $657 per month, with Staefa 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

Staefa vs Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Staefa and Lausanne differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($3,444 vs $3,563 including rent). Staefa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,166 in Staefa and $5,345 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: $1,710 in Staefa versus $1,882 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 $148 versus $148 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,444 per month in Staefa versus $3,563 in Lausanne – a 3% 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 3% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.