✦ Compare
Amsterdam vs
Lugano
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Amsterdam, NL vs Lugano, CH at a glance — Lugano, CH is 16% more expensive than Amsterdam, NL overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,800/mo versus $2,100/mo. Top income tax: 40% vs 49.5%.
To keep the same standard of living in Lugano, CH, you'd need
$87,010 / year
Lugano, CH is 16% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (Lugano, CH vs Amsterdam, NL)
- Housing-3%
- Food & groceries+34%
- Transport+21%
- Utilities0%
- Healthcare+40%
- Goods & services+34%
◎ How Amsterdam, NL and Lugano, CH compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Amsterdam, NL | Lugano, CH | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 127 | 147 |
| Housing | 165 | 160 |
| Food | 112 | 150 |
| Transport | 95 | 115 |
| Utilities | 122 | 122 |
| Healthcare | 100 | 140 |
| Goods & services | 116 | 155 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $2,100/mo | $1,800/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,500/mo | — |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $4,000/mo | — |
| Buy price / m² centre | $9,000 | — |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $787 | $679 |
| Inexpensive meal | $20 | — |
| Monthly transit pass | $100 | — |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 49.5% | 40% |
| VAT / sales tax | 21% | 8.1% |
| Corporate tax | 25.8% | 15% |
| Capital gains | — | 0% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $3,100/mo | $6,000/mo |
| Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP) | $80,136✓ | — |
| Minimum wage | $2,710/mo✓ | — |
| GDP per capita | $73,684✓ | $114,769✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | 3.3%✓ | 0.2%✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | High | — |
| Coworking spaces | 90 | — |
| Time zone | UTC+1 | — |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 75 | — |
| Safety index | 68 | — |
| Healthcare index | 80 | — |
| Pollution index | 40 | — |
| Internet speed | 160 Mbps | — |
| Walkability | 90 | — |
| Public transport | 88 | — |
| Family-friendly | 70 | — |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | — |
| Life expectancy | 82 yr✓ | 84 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +4 °C | — |
| July avg | +18 °C | — |
| Sunny days / year | 60 | — |
| Rainfall / year | 840 mm | — |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | — |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Netherlands vs Switzerland. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), Eurostat 2026, World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Amsterdam vs Lugano — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Amsterdam
Compact, bike-first and very English-friendly — a favourite expat landing pad, if you can win the tight housing lottery.
- Currency
- Euro (€ EUR)
- Languages
- Dutch
- Time zone
- UTC+1
- Internet
- 160 Mbps
- English
- Widely spoken
- Safety
- 68/100
- Climate
- ❄ 4°C · ☀ 18°C · 60 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- F · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Jordaan · De Pijp · Oost
Good to know before you move to Lugano
- Currency
- Swiss franc (Fr. CHF)
- Languages
- German, French, Italian
- Power
- J · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
Plan your move to Amsterdam
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalDiscoverCars
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Flight compensationAirHelp
Sponsored
Plan your move to Lugano
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalDiscoverCars
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Amsterdam to Lugano: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Amsterdam to Lugano, your cost of living will be roughly 16% more expensive. Lugano’s cost-of-living index is 147 versus 127 for Amsterdam (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Amsterdam cheaper than Lugano?
Lugano is about 16% more expensive than Amsterdam overall — its cost-of-living index is 147 versus 127 for Amsterdam.
Which is more expensive, Amsterdam or Lugano?
Lugano is more expensive than Amsterdam. Its cost-of-living index is 147 vs 127 (US = 100) — about 16% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Amsterdam or Lugano?
Rent is cheaper in Lugano — about $1,800/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $2,100 in Amsterdam.
How much do you need to earn in Lugano to live like in Amsterdam?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Amsterdam is worth about $87,010 in Lugano. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Amsterdam or Lugano?
Switzerland has the lower top income-tax rate — 40% versus 49.5% in Netherlands.
◷ More comparisons from Amsterdam
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.