✦ Compare
Houston 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.
Houston, TX vs Lugano, CH at a glance — Lugano, CH is 48% more expensive than Houston, TX overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,800/mo versus $1,400/mo. Top income tax: 40% vs 37%.
To keep the same standard of living in Lugano, CH, you'd need
$110,786 / year
Lugano, CH is 48% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (Lugano, CH vs Houston, TX)
- Housing+60%
- Food & groceries+56%
- Transport+13%
- Utilities+15%
- Healthcare+43%
- Goods & services+57%
◎ How Houston, TX and Lugano, CH compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Houston, TX | Lugano, CH | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 100 | 147 |
| Housing | 100 | 160 |
| Food | 96 | 150 |
| Transport | 102 | 115 |
| Utilities | 106 | 122 |
| Healthcare | 98 | 140 |
| Goods & services | 99 | 155 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $1,400/mo | $1,800/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,100/mo | — |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $2,600/mo | — |
| Buy price / m² centre | $3,300 | — |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $1,002 | $679 |
| Inexpensive meal | $16 | — |
| Monthly transit pass | $60 | — |
| 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 | 45 | — |
| Time zone | UTC-6 | — |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 59 | — |
| Safety index | 48 | — |
| Healthcare index | 78 | — |
| Pollution index | 50 | — |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | — |
| Walkability | 48 | — |
| Public transport | 42 | — |
| Family-friendly | 62 | — |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | — |
| Health insurance | $450/mo | — |
| Life expectancy | 79 yr✓ | 84 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +12 °C | — |
| July avg | +30 °C | — |
| Sunny days / year | 204 | — |
| Rainfall / year | 1,260 mm | — |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | — |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs Switzerland. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), US DOL (federal), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Houston vs Lugano — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Houston
America's energy capital — cheap, diverse and spread out, with hot, humid summers.
- Currency
- US dollar ($ USD)
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- UTC-6
- Internet
- 200 Mbps
- English
- Native language
- Safety
- 48/100
- Climate
- ❄ 12°C · ☀ 30°C · 204 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 120V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Montrose · The Heights · Midtown
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 Houston
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 Houston to Lugano: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Houston to Lugano, your cost of living will be roughly 48% more expensive. Lugano’s cost-of-living index is 147 versus 100 for Houston (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Houston cheaper than Lugano?
Lugano is about 48% more expensive than Houston overall — its cost-of-living index is 147 versus 100 for Houston.
Which is more expensive, Houston or Lugano?
Lugano is more expensive than Houston. Its cost-of-living index is 147 vs 100 (US = 100) — about 47% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Houston or Lugano?
Rent is cheaper in Houston — about $1,400/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $1,800 in Lugano.
How much do you need to earn in Lugano to live like in Houston?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Houston is worth about $110,786 in Lugano. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Houston or Lugano?
United States has the lower top income-tax rate — 37% versus 40% in Switzerland.
◷ More comparisons from Houston
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.