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: $4,264 in Zurich versus $3,186 in Lachen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,405 in Zurich versus $4,928 in Lachen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,546 in Zurich versus $6,670 in Lachen.

Living in Zurich is roughly 34% more expensive than Lachen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 217% above, Lachen 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 CHF 24.45

$30.19 CHF 24.13

1.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 116

$149 CHF 119

-2.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.52 CHF 16.41

$18.41 CHF 14.71

11.46%

Cappuccino

$6.99 CHF 5.59

$6.15 CHF 4.91

13.66%

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

$6.08 CHF 4.86

$5.67 CHF 4.53

7.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 CHF 4.22

$5.19 CHF 4.15

1.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.91 CHF 7.92

$7.46 CHF 5.96

32.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 CHF 7.06

$6.90 CHF 5.52

27.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.79

$2.28 CHF 1.82

-1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 CHF 2.63

$2.62 CHF 2.10

25.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.95 CHF 3.15

$2.42 CHF 1.94

63.22%

Eggs

$7.39 CHF 5.90

$8.03 CHF 6.42

-7.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.07 CHF 24.03

$28.06 CHF 22.43

7.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$34.13 CHF 27.28

$14.85 CHF 11.87

129.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.9 CHF 40.71

$40.43 CHF 32.32

25.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.23 CHF 3.38

$3.22 CHF 2.58

31.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 CHF 2.26

$1.92 CHF 1.54

47.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 CHF 2.41

$2.40 CHF 1.92

25.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.27 CHF 4.21

$4.99 CHF 3.99

5.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 CHF 2.25

$2.59 CHF 2.07

8.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.87

$2.27 CHF 1.81

3.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 2.00

$2.58 CHF 2.06

-2.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CHF 1.37

$1.10 CHF 0.88

56.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.87 CHF 8.69

$11.02 CHF 8.81

-1.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.00 CHF 11.99

$11.50 CHF 9.19

30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 CHF 2.17

$2.24 CHF 1.79

20.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 CHF 2.59

$2.39 CHF 1.91

35.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.06 CHF 4.04

$3.92 CHF 3.13

29.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 CHF 87.4

$98.3 CHF 78.6

11.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.88 CHF 6.30

$6.94 CHF 5.54

13.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.30 CHF 3.43

$4.20 CHF 3.36

2.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.5 CHF 70.7

$80.0 CHF 63.9

10.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.85

$2.13 CHF 1.70

8.92%

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

$41.1K CHF 32.9K

$40.7K CHF 32.5K

1.19%

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

$39.1K CHF 31.2K

$42.2K CHF 33.7K

-7.29%

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

$257 CHF 206

$125 CHF 99.7

106.47%

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

$35.13 CHF 28.08

$59.6 CHF 47.64

-41.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 CHF 47.26

$53.7 CHF 42.93

10.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.0 CHF 71.2

$86.9 CHF 69.4

2.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.88 CHF 39.87

Cinema Ticket

$24.22 CHF 19.36

$21.82 CHF 17.44

11.00%

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

$3,382 CHF 2,703

$2,850 CHF 2,278

18.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$38.9K CHF 31.1K

$34.1K CHF 27.2K

14.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 111

$122 CHF 97.5

13.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.5 CHF 49.93

$66.0 CHF 52.8

-5.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 CHF 117

$155 CHF 124

-5.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 159

$236 CHF 188

-15.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,676 CHF 2,139

$1,666 CHF 1,331

60.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,185 CHF 1,746

$1,457 CHF 1,165

49.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,057 CHF 4,042

$2,792 CHF 2,232

81.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,718 CHF 2,971

$2,442 CHF 1,952

52.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$26.5K CHF 21.2K

$16.2K CHF 12.9K

63.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.9K CHF 13.5K

$11.7K CHF 9,377

43.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,547 CHF 6,832

$10.1K CHF 8,041

-15.04%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lachen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,676 in Zurich and $1,666 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 $149 in Lachen. Groceries flip the comparison at $685 vs $508, 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 34% 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 18% 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: $2,676 in Zurich versus $1,666 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 $3,382 in Zurich versus $2,850 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 $3,186 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 34% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.