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

😐 Solo nomad: Zurich is 2.8% more expensive than Lausanne without rent, and 19.4% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Zurich is 2.5% more expensive than Lausanne without rent, and 10.1% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zurich
Lausanne
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$31.12 CHF 25.3
$32.99 CHF 26.82
-5.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$148 CHF 120
$150 CHF 122
-1.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$20.93 CHF 17.02
$18.69 CHF 15.2
11.99%
Cappuccino
$6.67 CHF 5.43
$6.12 CHF 4.97
8.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.1 CHF 4.96
$5.49 CHF 4.46
11.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.18 CHF 4.21
$4.73 CHF 3.85
9.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.93 CHF 8.08
$9.8 CHF 7.97
1.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.68 CHF 7.05
$8.75 CHF 7.12
-0.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zurich
Lausanne
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.17 CHF 1.77
$2.27 CHF 1.84
-4.41%
White Bread (500g)
$3.4 CHF 2.77
$4 CHF 3.25
-15.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.94 CHF 3.2
$4.38 CHF 3.56
-10.05%
Eggs
$7.42 CHF 6.03
$7.32 CHF 5.95
1.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$29.63 CHF 24.09
$26.33 CHF 21.41
12.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$33.86 CHF 27.53
$28.15 CHF 22.89
20.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$49.36 CHF 40.13
$52.3 CHF 42.52
-5.62%
Apples (1kg)
$4.12 CHF 3.35
$3.61 CHF 2.94
14.13%
Banana (1kg)
$2.83 CHF 2.3
$2.12 CHF 1.72
33.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.01 CHF 2.45
$2.93 CHF 2.38
2.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$5 CHF 4.06
$6.48 CHF 5.27
-22.84%
Potato (1kg)
$2.78 CHF 2.26
$2.42 CHF 1.97
14.88%
Onion (1kg)
$2.38 CHF 1.94
$2.36 CHF 1.92
0.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.58 CHF 2.1
$2.62 CHF 2.13
-1.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 CHF 1.35
$1.4 CHF 1.14
18.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.87 CHF 8.84
$11.29 CHF 9.18
-3.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.34 CHF 12.48
$18.71 CHF 15.21
-18.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.64 CHF 2.15
$2.02 CHF 1.64
30.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.23 CHF 2.62
$3.12 CHF 2.54
3.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Zurich
Lausanne
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.89 CHF 3.98
$4.73 CHF 3.84
3.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$107 CHF 87.3
$95.2 CHF 77.4
12.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.55 CHF 6.14
$7.81 CHF 6.35
-3.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.32 CHF 3.52
$3.29 CHF 2.67
31.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$86.9 CHF 70.7
$67.5 CHF 54.9
28.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.32 CHF 1.88
$2.14 CHF 1.74
8.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.6K CHF 32.2K
$39.7K CHF 32.3K
-0.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.2K CHF 32.7K
$42K CHF 34.1K
-4.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zurich
Lausanne
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$253 CHF 206
$323 CHF 263
-21.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.2 CHF 29.43
$50.7 CHF 41.22
-28.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.7 CHF 46.92
$57.4 CHF 46.69
0.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zurich
Lausanne
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$89.6 CHF 72.9
$77 CHF 62.6
16.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$49.81 CHF 40.5
$48.1 CHF 39.11
3.56%
Cinema Ticket
$25.08 CHF 20.39
$25.95 CHF 21.1
-3.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zurich
Lausanne
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,449 CHF 2,805
$2,864 CHF 2,329
20.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.4K CHF 32.1K
$33.8K CHF 27.5K
16.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zurich
Lausanne
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$140 CHF 114
$109 CHF 88.3
28.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$62.2 CHF 50.5
$68.3 CHF 55.5
-8.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$145 CHF 118
$148 CHF 120
-1.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$198 CHF 161
$185 CHF 151
6.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zurich
Lausanne
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,766 CHF 2,249
$1,825 CHF 1,484
51.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,234 CHF 1,816
$1,459 CHF 1,186
53.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,875 CHF 3,964
$3,545 CHF 2,883
37.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,725 CHF 3,029
$2,871 CHF 2,334
29.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$24.6K CHF 20K
$23.3K CHF 18.9K
5.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$18K CHF 14.7K
$15.7K CHF 12.8K
14.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zurich
Lausanne
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$8,196 CHF 6,664
$7,512 CHF 6,108
9.11%
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: October 27, 2025

Last update for Lausanne: October 27, 2025

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