Quality of life in Lausanne
Lausanne, Switzerland, is among the top cities with a free business environment. According to our city rankings, this is a good place to live with high ratings in safety, healthcare and education.
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Life quality score
City ranking
Housing
4
225/265Details
| Large apartment | $2400.00 |
|---|---|
| Medium apartment | $1800.00 |
| Rent index [score] | 0.43 |
| Small apartment | $1300.00 |
Cost of Living
1
244/248Details
| 5km taxi ride | $18.00 |
|---|---|
| A Cappuccino | $4.30 |
| A beer | $1.60 |
| A kilogram of Apples | $4.70 |
| Bread | $1.50 |
| Inflation [score] | 0.10 |
| Lunch | $24.00 |
| Monthly fitness club membership | $100.00 |
| Monthly public transport | $84.00 |
| Movie ticket | $21.00 |
| Price of a meal at a restaurant | $119.77 |
Startups
4
155/264Details
| Average monthly increase in number of startups | 2 |
|---|---|
| Average monthly increase in number of startups [score] | 0.27 |
| Coworking spaces [score] | 0.59 |
| Coworking spaces on WorkFrom.co | 3 |
| Meetups [score] | 0.59 |
| Meetups groups | 186 |
| Meetups members | 43319 |
| Number of investors | 12 |
| Number of startup events in the last 12 months | 87 |
| Number of upcoming meetup events | 20 |
| Startup climate scene [score] | 0.47 |
| Startup events | 23 |
| Startup events [score] | 0.45 |
| Startups [score] | 0.49 |
| Total number of startups | 118 |
Venture Capital
3
84/192Details
| Venture capital [score] | 0.33 |
|---|
Travel Connectivity
7
27/266Details
| Airport hub | 101 |
|---|---|
| Airport hub [score] | 0.47 |
| Intercity train connectivity [score] | 0.83 |
Commute
6
38/255Details
| Traffic handling [score] | 0.82 |
|---|
Business Freedom
9
59/264Details
| Business freedom | 82.20 |
|---|---|
| Business freedom [score] | 0.81 |
| Freedom from corruption | 86.00 |
| Freedom from corruption [score] | 0.96 |
| Lack of labor restrictions | 72.10 |
| Lack of labor restrictions [score] | 0.66 |
| Time to open a business | 10.00 |
| Time to open a business [score] | 0.90 |
Safety
8
78/266Details
| Crime rate [score] | 0.74 |
|---|---|
| Gun-related deaths per 100,000 residents per year | 3 |
| Guns per 100 residents | 24 |
| Lack of gun related deaths [score] | 0.92 |
| Lack of guns [score] | 0.87 |
| Lack of guns and gun-related deaths [score] | 0.89 |
Healthcare
10
3/265Details
| Healthcare expenditure [score] | 1.00 |
|---|---|
| Healthcare quality [score] | 0.88 |
| Life expectancy (years) | 83.36 |
| Life expectancy [score] | 1.00 |
Education
7
24/240Details
| Best university in ranking | École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne |
|---|---|
| Best university ranking | 30 |
| Country mean scores in PISA math test | 531.14 |
| Country mean scores in PISA reading test | 509.04 |
| Country mean scores in PISA science test | 515.30 |
| PISA math ranking (high school) | 7 |
| PISA ranking | 11 |
| PISA ranking (high school) [score] | 0.85 |
| PISA reading (high school) | 20 |
| PISA science (high school) | 14 |
| Percent of happy students | 0.86 |
| Percent of low performers in PISA math test | 0.12 |
| Percent of low performers in PISA reading test | 0.14 |
| Percent of low performers in PISA science test | 0.13 |
| Percent of top performers in PISA math test | 0.21 |
| Percent of top performers in PISA reading test | 0.09 |
| Percent of top performers in PISA science test | 0.09 |
| University quality [score] | 0.47 |
Environmental Quality
9
23/266Details
| Air quality [score] | 0.91 |
|---|---|
| Cleanliness [score] | 0.78 |
| Drinking water quality [score] | 0.95 |
| Urban greenery [score] | 0.89 |
Economy
7
12/263Details
| Currency exchange rate per US dollar for urban area | 0.97 |
|---|---|
| Currency for urban area | CHF |
| GDP growth rate | 0.02 |
| GDP growth rate [score] | 0.39 |
| GDP per capita | $58087.21 |
| GDP per capita [score] | 0.92 |
Taxation
6
44/266Details
| Effective company profit tax rate on payouts as dividends [score] | 0.82 |
|---|---|
| Income tax level [score] | 0.47 |
| Profit tax (% of profit) | 0.29 |
| Time overhead to file company taxes | 63 |
| VAT (Sales Tax) | 0.08 |
Internet Access
4
199/266Details
| Download speed (Mbps) | 29.96 |
|---|---|
| Internet access (download) [score] | 0.47 |
| Internet access (upload) [score] | 0.36 |
| Upload speed (Mbps) | 7.72 |
Leisure & Culture
4
214/264Details
| Art galleries | 40 |
|---|---|
| Art galleries [score] | 0.32 |
| Cinemas | 18 |
| Cinemas [score] | 0.33 |
| Comedy clubs | 20 |
| Comedy clubs [score] | 0.66 |
| Concert venues | 35 |
| Concerts [score] | 0.32 |
| Historical sites | 9 |
| Historical sites [score] | 0.39 |
| Museums | 26 |
| Museums [score] | 0.45 |
| Performing art venues | 44 |
| Performing arts [score] | 0.29 |
| Sport venues | 13 |
| Sports [score] | 0.20 |
| Zoos | 7 |
| Zoos [score] | 0.55 |
Tolerance
8
47/266Details
| LGBT Equality Index | 81.79 |
|---|---|
| LGBT Equality Index [score] | 0.83 |
| LGBT adoption rights | ✖ Illegal |
| LGBT age of consent | ✔ Equal |
| LGBT blood donation regulations | Ambiguous |
| LGBT conversion therapy regulations | ✔ Banned |
| LGBT discrimination legality | ✔ Illegal |
| LGBT employment discrimination legality | ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity |
| LGBT gender changing rights | ✔ Legal, but requires surgery |
| LGBT homosexuality rights | ✔ Legal |
| LGBT housing discrimination legality | ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity |
| LGBT marriage rights | ✔ Civil unions |
| Tolerance towards minorities [score] | 0.86 |
Outdoors
5
90/266Details
| Elevation (hills or mountains) [score] | 0.34 |
|---|---|
| Median peak in meters | 985.00 |
| Presence of hills in city | 1.00 |
| Presence of mountains in city | 1.00 |
| Seaside waterbody | 1.00 |
| Urban area elevation (meters) | 453.00 |
| Water access [score] | 0.72 |
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Cost of living
Costs of living in Lausanne are in the most expensive 10 percent of all 248 Teleport cities. Average living expenses are significantly higher compared to other cities, especially in the housing market. Moving to Lausanne will very likely increase your daily costs of living. Sign up for free to get access to our cost of living index and use our international cost of living calculator to do cost comparison by city.
Housing costs (USD)
$1800
Median rent for
apartments in city center
apartments in city center
Daily living costs (USD)
 Movie ticket | $21 |
|---|---|
 Monthly fitness club membership | $100 |
 Monthly public transport | $84 |
 Lunch | $24 |
+23%
compared to
San Francisco
San Francisco
Job salary calculator
Software Engineer salaries in Lausanne are very high. For this job type, Lausanne ranks 6th for salaries among 265 cities. Get access to our salary comparison calculator by signing up. Compare salaries city by city with our free salary wizard and convert your own salary to a local salary in Lausanne.
Estimated annual salary (in USD)
$93,706
Median salary
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Taxation
Personal taxation
Effective income tax rate
12%
For annual salary of $40000
12%
For annual salary of $80000
Value added tax (VAT)
8%
Standard tax rate. Different rates might apply for certain product categories.
Compared to other cities
73/266
Corporate taxation
Compared to other cities
32/263
Local Currency
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Safety
Gun crimes & Ownership
24.45
Guns per 100 people
3.01
Gun deaths per 100k people / year
North America
Europe
Asia
South America
Africa
Oceania
Overall crime rate city ranking
The overall crime rate puts Lausanne in position 75 of 266 Teleport Cities in a ranking for the safest cities.
Education
Visa
For visits up to 90 days
Required with citizenship of
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Explore the streets of Lausanne
People in Lausanne
Friends living in Lausanne
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Teleport Users X Lausanne
Teleport users who are Lausanne
Work in:
13.04%
8.70%
8.70%
8.70%
4.35%
4.35%
4.35%
47.83%
Come from:
LGBT rights in Lausanne
Homosexuality
Legal
Changing gender
Legal
But Requires Surgery
Discrimination
Illegal
Marriage
Civil Unions
Adoption
Illegal
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Startup scene
Number of startups
118
By stage
Total funding last 12 months
$0
Funding last 12 months
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On living in Lausanne
Lausanne, (pronounced low-ZANNE) the capital of the Swiss canton of Vaud, is a medium sized city (around two thirds the size of Geneva) which sits at the northernmost point of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman). The city is the host to the International Olympic Committee and two major universities. It is also the public transport hub of Vaud, and a gateway to the alpine Canton of the Valais, home to some of the best known ski slopes in the world.
As you might expect the large student population makes for a lively nightlife and arts community, revolving around the Flon district. You'll also find a number of quality restaurants and two dozen museums of note, including the Olympic Museum and the offbeat Collection de l'Art Brut. Architecture buffs will find the best preserved Gothic cathedral in Switzerland at the top of the town.
Despite being a very international city (42% of its population being foreign nationals) Lausanne is a French speaking city. English is not as commonly spoken as in Geneva and you will probably have trouble communicating with an average person on the street. Most service-sector employees speak a little English however, and the level of English amongst young Swiss tends to be high (amongst the older generation it is German that tends to be far stronger). A visitor will have little trouble getting around with just English.
Read moreGood Country Index
Every city comes with a country. How is this one doing in terms of giving back to the global community? Our friends at The Good Country Index measure what each country on earth contributes to the common good of humanity, and what it takes away, relative to its size.
Overall ranking
4th from a total of 163 countries
World Order
10thRefugees hosted
Refugees generated
Charity giving
Birth rate
UN Treaties signed
International Peace & Security
61stDues in arrears to UN peace keeping budgets
International violent conflict
Peacekeeping troops
Arms exports
Internet security (2014)
Planet & Climate
3rdEcological footprint
Reforestation since 1992
Hazardous pesticides exports
CO2 emissions
Ozone
Prosperity & Equality
2ndDevelopment assistance
FDI outflows
Fairtrade market size
UN volunteers abroad
Open trading
Culture
31stFreedom of movement
Press freedom
Creative services exports
UNESCO dues in arrears as % of contribution
Creative goods exports
Science & Technology
10thNobel prizes
Patents
Journal exports
International publications
International Students
Health & Wellbeing
5thPharmaceutical exports
Voluntary excess donations to the WHO
Food aid
Humanitarian aid donations
International Health Regulations Compliance
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