✦ Compare
Chicago 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.
Chicago, IL vs Lugano, CH at a glance — Lugano, CH is 43% more expensive than Chicago, IL overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,800/mo versus $1,900/mo. Top income tax: 40% vs 37%.
To keep the same standard of living in Lugano, CH, you'd need
$107,583 / year
Lugano, CH is 43% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (Lugano, CH vs Chicago, IL)
- Housing+38%
- Food & groceries+58%
- Transport+14%
- Utilities+36%
- Healthcare+43%
- Goods & services+58%
◎ How Chicago, IL and Lugano, CH compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Chicago, IL | Lugano, CH | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 103 | 147 |
| Housing | 116 | 160 |
| Food | 95 | 150 |
| Transport | 101 | 115 |
| Utilities | 90 | 122 |
| Healthcare | 98 | 140 |
| Goods & services | 98 | 155 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $1,900/mo | $1,800/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,450/mo | — |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $3,600/mo | — |
| Buy price / m² centre | $5,500 | — |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $973 | $679 |
| Inexpensive meal | $18 | — |
| Monthly transit pass | $105 | — |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 37% | 40% |
| VAT / sales tax | 0% | 8.1% |
| Social security (employee) | 7.7% | — |
| Corporate tax | 21% | 15% |
| Capital gains | 20% | 0% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $4,300/mo | $6,000/mo |
| Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP) | $86,977✓ | — |
| Minimum wage | $1,257/mo✓ | — |
| GDP per capita | $90,027✓ | $114,769✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | — | 0.2%✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | Native | — |
| Coworking spaces | 90 | — |
| Time zone | UTC-6 | — |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 66 | — |
| Safety index | 48 | — |
| Healthcare index | 80 | — |
| Pollution index | 45 | — |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | — |
| Walkability | 78 | — |
| Public transport | 78 | — |
| Family-friendly | 60 | — |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | — |
| Health insurance | $450/mo | — |
| Life expectancy | 79 yr✓ | 84 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | -4 °C | — |
| July avg | +24 °C | — |
| Sunny days / year | 189 | — |
| Rainfall / year | 950 mm | — |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | — |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs Switzerland. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), US DOL (federal), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Chicago vs Lugano — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Chicago
Big-city amenities and architecture at Midwest prices — the winters, though, are famously brutal.
- Currency
- US dollar ($ USD)
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- UTC-6
- Internet
- 200 Mbps
- English
- Native language
- Safety
- 48/100
- Climate
- ❄ -4°C · ☀ 24°C · 189 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 120V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Loop · Wicker Park · Lincoln Park
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 Chicago
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsAviasales
- FlightsCheapOAir
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalDiscoverCars
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Parking & carWay.com
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 Chicago to Lugano: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Chicago to Lugano, your cost of living will be roughly 43% more expensive. Lugano’s cost-of-living index is 147 versus 103 for Chicago (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Chicago cheaper than Lugano?
Lugano is about 43% more expensive than Chicago overall — its cost-of-living index is 147 versus 103 for Chicago.
Which is more expensive, Chicago or Lugano?
Lugano is more expensive than Chicago. Its cost-of-living index is 147 vs 103 (US = 100) — about 43% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Chicago or Lugano?
Rent is cheaper in Lugano — about $1,800/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $1,900 in Chicago.
How much do you need to earn in Lugano to live like in Chicago?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Chicago is worth about $107,583 in Lugano. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Chicago or Lugano?
United States has the lower top income-tax rate — 37% versus 40% in Switzerland.
◷ More comparisons from Chicago
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.