✦ Compare
Lugano vs
Nagoya
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Lugano, CH vs Nagoya, JP at a glance — Nagoya, JP is 37% cheaper than Lugano, CH overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $750/mo versus $1,800/mo. Top income tax: 45% vs 40%.
To keep the same standard of living in Nagoya, JP, you'd need
$46,992 / year
Nagoya, JP is 37% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Nagoya, JP vs Lugano, CH)
- Housing-49%
- Food & groceries-36%
- Transport-30%
- Utilities-10%
- Healthcare-39%
- Goods & services-34%
◎ How Lugano, CH and Nagoya, JP compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Lugano, CH | Nagoya, JP | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 147 | 92 |
| Housing | 160 | 82 |
| Food | 150 | 96 |
| Transport | 115 | 80 |
| Utilities | 122 | 110 |
| Healthcare | 140 | 85 |
| Goods & services | 155 | 103 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $1,800/mo | $750/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | — | $540/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | — | $1,400/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | — | $5,000 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $679 | $1,083 |
| Inexpensive meal | — | $8 |
| Monthly transit pass | — | $60 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 40% | 45% |
| VAT / sales tax | 8.1% | 10% |
| Corporate tax | 15% | 30% |
| Capital gains | 0% | 20.3% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $6,000/mo | $2,600/mo |
| Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP) | — | $50,183✓ |
| Minimum wage | — | $1,300/mo |
| GDP per capita | $114,769✓ | $35,951✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | 0.2%✓ | 3.2%✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | Yes |
| English proficiency | — | Low |
| Coworking spaces | — | 20 |
| Time zone | — | UTC+9 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | — | 77 |
| Safety index | — | 82 |
| Healthcare index | — | 84 |
| Pollution index | — | 40 |
| Internet speed | — | 230 Mbps |
| Walkability | — | 76 |
| Public transport | — | 84 |
| Family-friendly | — | 74 |
| Tap water | — | Safe to drink |
| Life expectancy | 84 yr✓ | 84 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | Moderate |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | — | +5 °C |
| July avg | — | +28 °C |
| Sunny days / year | — | 200 |
| Rainfall / year | — | 1,500 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | — | 2 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Switzerland vs Japan. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Lugano vs Nagoya — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Lugano
- Currency
- Swiss franc (Fr. CHF)
- Languages
- German, French, Italian
- Power
- J · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
Good to know before you move to Nagoya
Japan's industrial powerhouse (Toyota's home turf) and an underrated, spacious city between Tokyo and Osaka. It keeps Japan's safety, transit and reliability while running noticeably cheaper than either megacity.
- Currency
- Japanese yen (¥ JPY)
- Languages
- Japanese
- Time zone
- UTC+9
- Internet
- 230 Mbps
- English
- Rarely spoken
- Safety
- 82/100
- Climate
- ❄ 5°C · ☀ 28°C · 200 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 100V
- Driving
- Left-hand side
- Popular areas
- Sakae · Osu · Meieki · Kanayama
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
Plan your move to Nagoya
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalDiscoverCars
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Lugano to Nagoya: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Lugano to Nagoya, your cost of living will be roughly 37% cheaper. Nagoya’s cost-of-living index is 92 versus 147 for Lugano (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Lugano cheaper than Nagoya?
Nagoya is about 37% cheaper than Lugano overall — its cost-of-living index is 92 versus 147 for Lugano.
Which is more expensive, Lugano or Nagoya?
Lugano is more expensive than Nagoya. Its cost-of-living index is 147 vs 92 (US = 100) — about 60% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Lugano or Nagoya?
Rent is cheaper in Nagoya — about $750/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $1,800 in Lugano.
How much do you need to earn in Nagoya to live like in Lugano?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Lugano is worth about $46,992 in Nagoya. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Lugano or Nagoya?
Switzerland has the lower top income-tax rate — 40% versus 45% in Japan.
◷ More comparisons from Lugano
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.