Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Lachen

For one person, living is cheaper in Lachen: $3,516 a month against $4,274 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

205

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
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Zurich Living Index
169

Cost of Living Index in Lachen
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Lachen Living Index

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Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,274

/mo nomad

Lachen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,516

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zurich and in Lachen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Zurich and in Lachen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,274 in Zurich versus $3,516 in Lachen.

Zurich $4,274
Lachen $3,516

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,740 in Zurich versus $5,284 in Lachen.

Zurich $6,740
Lachen $5,284

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,207 in Zurich versus $7,052 in Lachen.

Zurich $9,207
Lachen $7,052

Living in Zurich is roughly 22% more expensive than in Lachen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 216% above, Lachen 160% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$36.93 CHF 30.15

$33.64 CHF 27.46

9.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 119

$124 CHF 101

17.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.49 CHF 15.10

$16.24 CHF 13.26

13.85%

Cappuccino

$7.03 CHF 5.74

$6.30 CHF 5.15

11.59%

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

$6.00 CHF 4.90

$5.67 CHF 4.63

5.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 CHF 4.41

$5.08 CHF 4.15

6.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.91 CHF 8.09

$8.64 CHF 7.05

14.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.63 CHF 7.04

$9.61 CHF 7.85

-10.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.78

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 CHF 3.17

$3.42 CHF 2.79

13.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.82 CHF 3.12

$4.43 CHF 3.61

-13.77%

Eggs

$8.43 CHF 6.88

$7.62 CHF 6.22

10.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.56 CHF 22.50

$26.92 CHF 21.98

2.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.03 CHF 22.89

$26.45 CHF 21.60

5.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$60.1 CHF 49.07

$40.42 CHF 33.00

48.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 CHF 3.41

$3.64 CHF 2.97

14.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 CHF 2.28

$2.08 CHF 1.70

34.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 CHF 2.85

$2.71 CHF 2.21

28.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 CHF 3.74

$4.75 CHF 3.88

-3.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 CHF 2.07

$1.98 CHF 1.62

28.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 CHF 1.93

$2.20 CHF 1.80

7.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 CHF 1.97

$2.45 CHF 2.00

-1.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CHF 1.04

$1.42 CHF 1.16

-9.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.89 CHF 8.89

$10.83 CHF 8.84

0.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 CHF 11.51

$13.20 CHF 10.78

6.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 CHF 2.27

$2.89 CHF 2.36

-3.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 CHF 2.64

$3.48 CHF 2.84

-7.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.72 CHF 4.67

$4.23 CHF 3.46

35.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 86.5

$86.3 CHF 70.5

22.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 CHF 6.59

$8.19 CHF 6.69

-1.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.74 CHF 3.87

$4.75 CHF 3.88

-0.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$91.4 CHF 74.6

$87.0 CHF 71.1

4.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.43 CHF 1.98

$2.28 CHF 1.86

6.58%

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

$39.4K CHF 32.1K

$40.1K CHF 32.7K

-1.80%

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

$39.0K CHF 31.9K

-0.01%

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

$284 CHF 232

$240 CHF 196

18.52%

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

$36.15 CHF 29.51

$31.91 CHF 26.05

13.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.7 CHF 46.31

$65.5 CHF 53.4

-13.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.4 CHF 68.1

$85.2 CHF 69.6

-2.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$62.4 CHF 50.9

$48.54 CHF 39.63

28.49%

Cinema Ticket

$24.03 CHF 19.62

$21.89 CHF 17.87

9.78%

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

$3,473 CHF 2,835

$2,982 CHF 2,434

16.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.0K CHF 34.3K

$37.3K CHF 30.5K

12.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 113

$142 CHF 116

-2.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 CHF 44.83

$89.7 CHF 73.2

-38.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 CHF 131

$147 CHF 120

9.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 CHF 207

$175 CHF 143

44.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,964 CHF 2,420

$1,855 CHF 1,515

59.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,111 CHF 1,723

$1,578 CHF 1,289

33.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,507 CHF 4,496

$2,967 CHF 2,422

85.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,074 CHF 3,326

$2,518 CHF 2,056

61.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.0K CHF 22.0K

$14.9K CHF 12.2K

80.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K CHF 13.7K

$11.1K CHF 9,072

50.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,335 CHF 6,805

$9,845 CHF 8,038

-15.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.03

1.72

18.02%

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

Last update for Zurich: November 3, 2026

Last update for Lachen: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Zurich

$2.1K 49.4%

Lachen

$1.6K 44.9% 25.2% $533

Groceries & Markets

Zurich

$673 15.8%

Lachen

$589 16.7% 12.5% $84

Eating Out

Zurich

$548 12.8%

Lachen

$499 14.2% 8.9% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zurich

$377 8.8%

Lachen

$337 9.6% 10.6% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Zurich

$273 6.4%

Lachen

$249 7.1% 8.9% $24

Getting Around

Zurich

$161 3.8%

Lachen

$135 3.9% 15.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Zurich

$131 3.1%

Lachen

$129 3.7% 1.8% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,964 in Zurich and $1,855 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 18% 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 $124 in Lachen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $673 vs $589 per month, with Lachen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Zurich

🇨🇭 Lachen

🕒 Local time

10:29 10:29 AM

Same time as Zurich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

443,037

9,000

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Zurich Lachen 31 km

From you

Zurich
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 18% 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 15% lower in Zurich. 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: $2,964 in Zurich versus $1,855 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 18% less than in Zurich. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $3,473 in Zurich versus $2,982 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 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, Zurich and Lachen are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Lachen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.