✦ Compare
Lugano vs
Phoenix
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 Phoenix, AZ at a glance — Phoenix, AZ is 28% cheaper than Lugano, CH overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,450/mo versus $1,800/mo. Top income tax: 37% vs 40%.
To keep the same standard of living in Phoenix, AZ, you'd need
$53,858 / year
Phoenix, AZ is 28% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Phoenix, AZ vs Lugano, CH)
- Housing-29%
- Food & groceries-33%
- Transport-8%
- Utilities-14%
- Healthcare-28%
- Goods & services-34%
◎ How Lugano, CH and Phoenix, AZ compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Lugano, CH | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 147 | 106 |
| Housing | 160 | 113 |
| Food | 150 | 101 |
| Transport | 115 | 106 |
| Utilities | 122 | 105 |
| Healthcare | 140 | 101 |
| Goods & services | 155 | 102 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $1,800/mo | $1,450/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | — | $1,150/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | — | $2,600/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | — | $3,800 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $679 | $945 |
| Inexpensive meal | — | $16 |
| Monthly transit pass | — | $64 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 40% | 37% |
| VAT / sales tax | 8.1% | 0% |
| Social security (employee) | — | 7.7% |
| Corporate tax | 15% | 21% |
| Capital gains | 0% | 20% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $6,000/mo | $4,300/mo |
| Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP) | — | $86,977✓ |
| Minimum wage | — | $1,257/mo✓ |
| GDP per capita | $114,769✓ | $90,027✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | 0.2%✓ | — |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | — | Native |
| Coworking spaces | — | 40 |
| Time zone | — | UTC-7 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | — | 56 |
| Safety index | — | 52 |
| Healthcare index | — | 76 |
| Pollution index | — | 55 |
| Internet speed | — | 200 Mbps |
| Walkability | — | 42 |
| Public transport | — | 40 |
| Family-friendly | — | 62 |
| Tap water | — | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | — | $450/mo |
| Life expectancy | 84 yr✓ | 79 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | — | +13 °C |
| July avg | — | +35 °C |
| Sunny days / year | — | 299 |
| Rainfall / year | — | 200 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | — | 1.5 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Switzerland vs United States. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), US DOL (federal), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Lugano vs Phoenix — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Lugano
- Currency
- Swiss franc (Fr. CHF)
- Languages
- German, French, Italian
- Power
- J · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
Good to know before you move to Phoenix
Affordable, fast-growing and sunny nearly year-round — if you can handle triple-digit summers.
- Currency
- US dollar ($ USD)
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- UTC-7
- Internet
- 200 Mbps
- English
- Native language
- Safety
- 52/100
- Climate
- ❄ 13°C · ☀ 35°C · 299 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 120V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Downtown · Arcadia · Tempe
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 Phoenix
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
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Lugano to Phoenix: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Lugano to Phoenix, your cost of living will be roughly 28% cheaper. Phoenix’s cost-of-living index is 106 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 Phoenix?
Phoenix is about 28% cheaper than Lugano overall — its cost-of-living index is 106 versus 147 for Lugano.
Which is more expensive, Lugano or Phoenix?
Lugano is more expensive than Phoenix. Its cost-of-living index is 147 vs 106 (US = 100) — about 39% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Lugano or Phoenix?
Rent is cheaper in Phoenix — about $1,450/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $1,800 in Lugano.
How much do you need to earn in Phoenix to live like in Lugano?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Lugano is worth about $53,858 in Phoenix. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Lugano or Phoenix?
United States has the lower top income-tax rate — 37% versus 40% in Switzerland.
◷ 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.