Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Lausanne Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Lausanne

😐 Solo nomad: Zurich is 0.4% more expensive than Lausanne without rent, and 20.4% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Zurich is 0.4% more expensive than Lausanne without rent, and 9.2% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zurich
Lausanne
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$31.39 CHF 24.49
$33.21 CHF 25.91
-5.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$148 CHF 116
$150 CHF 117
-1.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$20.60 CHF 16.06
$19.06 CHF 14.87
8.08%
Cappuccino
$6.90 CHF 5.38
$5.95 CHF 4.64
15.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.83 CHF 4.55
$5.42 CHF 4.23
7.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.30 CHF 4.13
$4.70 CHF 3.67
12.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.74 CHF 7.59
$9.78 CHF 7.63
-0.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.44 CHF 6.58
$8.53 CHF 6.65
-1.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zurich
Lausanne
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.16 CHF 1.69
$2.17 CHF 1.70
-0.46%
White Bread (500g)
$3.40 CHF 2.65
$4.10 CHF 3.19
-17.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.94 CHF 3.07
$4.35 CHF 3.39
-9.43%
Eggs
$7.57 CHF 5.91
$7.33 CHF 5.72
3.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$29.08 CHF 22.68
$26.07 CHF 20.33
11.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$33.28 CHF 25.96
$29.04 CHF 22.65
14.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$50.8 CHF 39.61
$53.0 CHF 41.34
-4.19%
Apples (1kg)
$4.01 CHF 3.13
$3.66 CHF 2.85
9.56%
Banana (1kg)
$2.82 CHF 2.20
$2.09 CHF 1.63
34.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.04 CHF 2.37
$2.82 CHF 2.20
7.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.17 CHF 4.03
$6.71 CHF 5.24
-22.95%
Potato (1kg)
$2.73 CHF 2.13
$2.46 CHF 1.92
10.98%
Onion (1kg)
$2.37 CHF 1.85
$2.36 CHF 1.84
0.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.58 CHF 2.02
$2.50 CHF 1.95
3.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 CHF 1.30
$1.39 CHF 1.08
19.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.15 CHF 8.69
$10.95 CHF 8.54
1.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.52 CHF 12.10
$16.06 CHF 12.52
-3.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.75 CHF 2.14
$2.10 CHF 1.63
30.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.34 CHF 2.60
$3.18 CHF 2.48
5.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Zurich
Lausanne
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.96 CHF 3.87
$4.76 CHF 3.71
4.20%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$109 CHF 85.3
$97.4 CHF 76.0
12.33%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.63 CHF 5.95
$7.86 CHF 6.13
-2.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.13 CHF 3.22
$3.43 CHF 2.68
20.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$89.0 CHF 69.4
$67.6 CHF 52.7
31.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.24 CHF 1.75
$2.17 CHF 1.70
3.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.1K CHF 31.3K
$40.1K CHF 31.3K
0.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.5K CHF 30.8K
$40.8K CHF 31.9K
-3.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zurich
Lausanne
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$253 CHF 198
$320 CHF 250
-20.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.07 CHF 27.35
$51.5 CHF 40.20
-31.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.2 CHF 45.36
$57.6 CHF 44.96
0.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zurich
Lausanne
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$90.5 CHF 70.6
$78.7 CHF 61.4
15.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$48.94 CHF 38.17
$48.02 CHF 37.45
1.92%
Cinema Ticket
$24.92 CHF 19.44
$26.28 CHF 20.50
-5.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zurich
Lausanne
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,471 CHF 2,707
$2,755 CHF 2,149
26.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.2K CHF 30.6K
$34.3K CHF 26.7K
14.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zurich
Lausanne
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$137 CHF 107
$107 CHF 83.4
28.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.1 CHF 47.63
$69.9 CHF 54.5
-12.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$149 CHF 117
$150 CHF 117
-0.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$201 CHF 157
$183 CHF 143
9.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zurich
Lausanne
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,726 CHF 2,126
$1,829 CHF 1,427
49.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,225 CHF 1,736
$1,464 CHF 1,142
52.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,974 CHF 3,879
$3,651 CHF 2,848
36.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,694 CHF 2,881
$2,972 CHF 2,318
24.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$24.7K CHF 19.3K
$19.7K CHF 15.3K
25.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$16.4K CHF 12.8K
$15.5K CHF 12.1K
6.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zurich
Lausanne
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$8,573 CHF 6,687
$7,950 CHF 6,201
7.84%
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: February 28, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: March 1, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Similar cities