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: $4,347 in Zurich versus $3,260 in Lachen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,523 in Zurich versus $4,998 in Lachen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,699 in Zurich versus $6,737 in Lachen.

Living in Zurich is roughly 33% more expensive than Lachen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 224% above, Lachen 143% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.22 CHF 23.69

$30.65 CHF 24.03

-1.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 116

$149 CHF 117

-0.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.17 CHF 16.59

$18.42 CHF 14.44

14.93%

Cappuccino

$6.97 CHF 5.47

$6.43 CHF 5.04

8.40%

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

$5.78 CHF 4.53

$5.85 CHF 4.58

-1.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 CHF 4.24

$5.17 CHF 4.05

4.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.03 CHF 7.87

$7.59 CHF 5.95

32.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.58 CHF 6.72

$7.17 CHF 5.62

19.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.68

$2.21 CHF 1.73

-3.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 CHF 2.60

$2.57 CHF 2.01

28.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 CHF 3.19

$2.50 CHF 1.96

62.80%

Eggs

$7.46 CHF 5.85

$8.17 CHF 6.41

-8.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.49 CHF 23.12

$27.43 CHF 21.50

7.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.63 CHF 26.37

$14.67 CHF 11.50

129.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$49.90 CHF 39.12

$41.08 CHF 32.20

21.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 CHF 3.16

$3.17 CHF 2.49

26.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 CHF 2.22

$1.88 CHF 1.48

50.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CHF 2.35

$2.49 CHF 1.95

20.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 CHF 4.09

$5.07 CHF 3.98

2.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 CHF 2.19

$2.49 CHF 1.95

12.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 CHF 1.79

$2.26 CHF 1.77

0.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 1.99

$2.48 CHF 1.95

2.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 CHF 1.30

$1.14 CHF 0.89

44.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.19 CHF 8.77

$10.74 CHF 8.42

4.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.18 CHF 11.90

$11.78 CHF 9.23

28.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 CHF 2.04

$2.19 CHF 1.72

18.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 CHF 2.64

$2.31 CHF 1.81

45.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.01 CHF 3.93

$3.88 CHF 3.04

29.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 CHF 86.1

$99.2 CHF 77.8

10.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.60 CHF 5.96

$6.86 CHF 5.38

10.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.25 CHF 3.33

$4.15 CHF 3.25

2.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.4 CHF 69.3

$79.2 CHF 62.1

11.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.74

$2.20 CHF 1.72

0.91%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.3K

$39.8K CHF 31.2K

0.24%

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

$39.3K CHF 30.8K

$40.9K CHF 32.0K

-3.92%

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

$254 CHF 199

$122 CHF 95.4

108.68%

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

$35.48 CHF 27.81

$60.3 CHF 47.26

-41.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 CHF 45.78

$54.2 CHF 42.50

7.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.7 CHF 71.1

$89.6 CHF 70.3

1.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.80 CHF 39.05

Cinema Ticket

$24.62 CHF 19.30

$22.05 CHF 17.29

11.66%

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

$3,356 CHF 2,631

$2,857 CHF 2,240

17.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.0K CHF 30.5K

$34.8K CHF 27.3K

11.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 CHF 108

$124 CHF 97.4

11.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.7 CHF 48.37

$64.8 CHF 50.8

-4.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 CHF 119

$154 CHF 121

-1.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$205 CHF 161

$236 CHF 185

-13.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,780 CHF 2,180

$1,712 CHF 1,342

62.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 CHF 1,746

$1,455 CHF 1,141

52.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,989 CHF 3,911

$2,836 CHF 2,224

75.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,800 CHF 2,979

$2,419 CHF 1,897

57.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$25.3K CHF 19.8K

$13.9K CHF 10.9K

82.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.0K CHF 12.5K

$10.6K CHF 8,344

50.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,622 CHF 6,760

$10.2K CHF 8,035

-15.87%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Lachen: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,780 in Zurich and $1,712 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $149 in Zurich vs $149 in Lachen. Groceries flip the comparison at $675 vs $507, 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 33% 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, Lachen earns 19% 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: $2,780 in Zurich versus $1,712 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 11% less than in Zurich. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,356 in Zurich versus $2,857 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 $3,260 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 33% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.