Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Lancy

For one person, living is cheaper in Lancy: $3,280 a month against $4,502 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

219

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
Learn more

Zurich Living Index
164

Cost of Living Index in Lancy
Learn more

Lancy Living Index

Jump to prices

Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,502

/mo nomad

Lancy

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,280

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zurich and in Lancy

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 Lancy actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,502 in Zurich versus $3,280 in Lancy.

Zurich $4,502
Lancy $3,280

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,894 in Zurich versus $5,151 in Lancy.

Zurich $6,894
Lancy $5,151

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,287 in Zurich versus $7,023 in Lancy.

Zurich $9,287
Lancy $7,023

Living in Zurich is roughly 37% more expensive than in Lancy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 232% above, Lancy 142% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.81 CHF 28.67

$28.74 CHF 23.68

21.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 122

$124 CHF 102

19.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.95 CHF 14.79

$15.64 CHF 12.89

14.77%

Cappuccino

$6.93 CHF 5.71

$6.32 CHF 5.20

9.65%

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

$5.74 CHF 4.73

$4.56 CHF 3.76

25.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 CHF 4.43

$4.01 CHF 3.30

34.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 CHF 7.89

$9.28 CHF 7.64

3.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 CHF 6.78

$7.72 CHF 6.36

6.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.77

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-3.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.89 CHF 3.21

$2.90 CHF 2.39

34.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.87 CHF 3.19

$3.13 CHF 2.57

23.64%

Eggs

$8.35 CHF 6.88

$7.57 CHF 6.24

10.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.80 CHF 22.08

$24.10 CHF 19.85

11.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.59 CHF 23.55

$29.41 CHF 24.23

-2.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$61.2 CHF 50.5

$39.04 CHF 32.16

56.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.25 CHF 3.50

$3.54 CHF 2.92

20.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 CHF 2.27

$1.65 CHF 1.36

67.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 CHF 2.94

$2.74 CHF 2.25

30.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 CHF 3.76

$4.76 CHF 3.92

-3.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 CHF 2.11

$1.58 CHF 1.30

62.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.76

$2.05 CHF 1.69

4.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CHF 2.03

$2.21 CHF 1.82

11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 CHF 1.02

$1.35 CHF 1.12

-8.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.74 CHF 8.85

$10.84 CHF 8.93

-0.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 CHF 11.50

$12.17 CHF 10.03

14.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 CHF 2.26

$2.17 CHF 1.79

26.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CHF 2.56

$2.91 CHF 2.40

6.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.51 CHF 4.54

$3.90 CHF 3.21

41.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 88.8

$94.7 CHF 78.0

13.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.58

$7.73 CHF 6.37

3.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.50 CHF 3.71

$3.78 CHF 3.12

19.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.6 CHF 73.0

$64.6 CHF 53.2

37.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 CHF 1.97

$2.33 CHF 1.92

2.58%

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

$38.8K CHF 32.0K

$38.8K CHF 31.9K

0.16%

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

$40.1K CHF 33.0K

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

1.30%

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

$284 CHF 234

$276 CHF 227

3.04%

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

$38.69 CHF 31.87

$27.82 CHF 22.92

39.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 CHF 45.94

$55.1 CHF 45.42

1.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.1 CHF 75.9

$90.5 CHF 74.5

1.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.2 CHF 50.4

$46.39 CHF 38.22

31.86%

Cinema Ticket

$25.49 CHF 21.00

$24.28 CHF 20.00

4.98%

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

$3,632 CHF 2,992

$2,430 CHF 2,002

49.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

$30.3K CHF 25.0K

37.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 117

$135 CHF 111

5.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.8 CHF 47.57

$61.0 CHF 50.2

-5.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$163 CHF 134

$158 CHF 130

3.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$254 CHF 210

$188 CHF 154

35.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,953 CHF 2,433

$1,798 CHF 1,481

64.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,342 CHF 1,929

$1,384 CHF 1,140

69.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,897 CHF 4,858

$2,926 CHF 2,410

101.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,150 CHF 3,418

$2,610 CHF 2,150

58.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.1K CHF 22.3K

$17.9K CHF 14.7K

51.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 13.4K

$11.4K CHF 9,367

43.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,247 CHF 6,793

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

1.98

4.55%

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

Last update for Zurich: October 20, 2026

Last update for Lancy: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zurich

$2.3K 52%

Lancy

$1.4K 42.2% 40.9% $957

Groceries & Markets

Zurich

$676 15%

Lancy

$568 17.3% 16% $108

Eating Out

Zurich

$524 11.6%

Lancy

$449 13.7% 14.4% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zurich

$379 8.4%

Lancy

$359 10.9% 5.2% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Zurich

$278 6.2%

Lancy

$244 7.4% 12.2% $34

Getting Around

Zurich

$160 3.6%

Lancy

$137 4.2% 14.6% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Zurich

$143 3.2%

Lancy

$139 4.2% 2.8% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,953 in Zurich and $1,798 in Lancy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $148 in Zurich vs $124 in Lancy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $676 vs $568 per month, with Lancy cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Zurich

🇨🇭 Lancy

🕒 Local time

08:25 8:25 AM

Same time as Zurich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

443,037

10,919

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zurich Lancy 230 km

From you

Zurich
Lancy

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 Lancy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lancy is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $6,752 in Zurich and $4,919 in Lancy 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: $2,953 in Zurich versus $1,798 in Lancy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $4,502 per month in Zurich versus $3,280 in Lancy – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lancy runs roughly 12% less than in Zurich. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Lancy is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Lancy is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Zurich, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Lancy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.