Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Lachen Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Lachen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,229 in Zurich versus $3,214 in Lachen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,508 in Zurich versus $5,008 in Lachen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,786 in Zurich versus $6,801 in Lachen.

Living in Zurich is roughly 32% more expensive than in Lachen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 217% above, Lachen 141% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.02 CHF 25.36

$30.40 CHF 24.86

2.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 119

$151 CHF 123

-3.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.79 CHF 17.00

$18.48 CHF 15.11

12.50%

Cappuccino

$6.71 CHF 5.48

$6.17 CHF 5.05

8.75%

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

$6.13 CHF 5.01

$5.92 CHF 4.84

3.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 CHF 4.33

$5.38 CHF 4.40

-1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.00 CHF 8.18

$7.39 CHF 6.05

35.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.65 CHF 7.07

$6.96 CHF 5.69

24.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.85

$2.22 CHF 1.82

1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 CHF 2.79

$2.60 CHF 2.12

31.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.92 CHF 3.20

$2.40 CHF 1.96

63.33%

Eggs

$7.54 CHF 6.17

$7.88 CHF 6.44

-4.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.54 CHF 24.16

$27.48 CHF 22.47

7.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.89 CHF 27.71

$14.87 CHF 12.16

127.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.2 CHF 41.02

$41.81 CHF 34.19

20.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.39

$3.12 CHF 2.55

33.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 CHF 2.32

$1.90 CHF 1.56

48.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 CHF 2.47

$2.52 CHF 2.06

19.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 CHF 4.12

$4.89 CHF 4.00

3.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.24

$2.52 CHF 2.06

8.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.88

$2.38 CHF 1.94

-3.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 CHF 2.00

$2.57 CHF 2.10

-4.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.36

$1.10 CHF 0.90

50.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CHF 9.09

$10.76 CHF 8.80

3.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 CHF 11.25

$13.37 CHF 10.94

2.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 CHF 2.24

$2.26 CHF 1.85

21.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 CHF 2.71

$2.27 CHF 1.86

45.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.84 CHF 3.96

$3.79 CHF 3.10

27.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 CHF 89.4

$99.5 CHF 81.4

9.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.64 CHF 6.25

$6.88 CHF 5.63

11.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.11 CHF 3.36

$4.22 CHF 3.45

-2.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 71.4

$78.7 CHF 64.3

11.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

$2.11 CHF 1.73

6.64%

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

$40.3K CHF 33.0K

$41.0K CHF 33.5K

-1.62%

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

$38.8K CHF 31.7K

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

-5.57%

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

$255 CHF 209

$122 CHF 100

108.23%

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

$35.92 CHF 29.37

$58.5 CHF 47.83

-38.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 CHF 48.83

$52.3 CHF 42.73

14.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.3 CHF 73.0

$87.3 CHF 71.4

2.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.5 CHF 41.29

Cinema Ticket

$24.36 CHF 19.92

$22.44 CHF 18.35

8.56%

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

$3,397 CHF 2,778

$2,872 CHF 2,348

18.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.5K CHF 32.3K

$34.6K CHF 28.3K

14.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 116

$121 CHF 99.3

16.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 CHF 49.60

$64.4 CHF 52.7

-5.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 121

$158 CHF 129

-5.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 CHF 165

$233 CHF 191

-13.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,698 CHF 2,206

$1,727 CHF 1,412

56.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,208 CHF 1,805

$1,462 CHF 1,195

51.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,893 CHF 4,001

$2,804 CHF 2,293

74.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,760 CHF 3,074

$2,466 CHF 2,016

52.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$26.8K CHF 21.9K

$16.0K CHF 13.1K

67.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.7K CHF 13.7K

$12.5K CHF 10.2K

33.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,316 CHF 6,800

$9,975 CHF 8,157

-16.64%

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 Zurich: July 21, 2026

Last update for Lachen: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,698 in Zurich and $1,727 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 20% 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 Zurich vs $151 in Lachen. Groceries flip the comparison at $677 vs $511, with Lachen 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

Zurich vs Lachen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lachen wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Zurich. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lachen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Lachen. 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: $2,698 in Zurich versus $1,727 in Lachen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lachen runs roughly 10% less than in Zurich. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,397 in Zurich versus $2,872 in Lachen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Lachen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lachen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,214 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lachen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Zurich and Lachen 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 Lachen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.