✦ Compare
Lugano vs
Vancouver
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 Vancouver, CA at a glance — Vancouver, CA is 16% cheaper than Lugano, CH overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $2,100/mo versus $1,800/mo. Top income tax: 33% vs 40%.
To keep the same standard of living in Vancouver, CA, you'd need
$63,238 / year
Vancouver, CA is 16% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Vancouver, CA vs Lugano, CH)
- Housing+5%
- Food & groceries-27%
- Transport-13%
- Utilities-18%
- Healthcare-39%
- Goods & services-28%
◎ How Lugano, CH and Vancouver, CA compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Lugano, CH | Vancouver, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 147 | 124 |
| Housing | 160 | 168 |
| Food | 150 | 110 |
| Transport | 115 | 100 |
| Utilities | 122 | 100 |
| Healthcare | 140 | 85 |
| Goods & services | 155 | 112 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $1,800/mo | $2,100/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | — | $1,650/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | — | $4,200/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | — | $12,000 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $679 | $805 |
| Inexpensive meal | — | $18 |
| Monthly transit pass | — | $75 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 40% | 33% |
| VAT / sales tax | 8.1% | 5% |
| Corporate tax | 15% | 26.5% |
| Capital gains | 0% | — |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $6,000/mo | $3,300/mo |
| Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP) | — | $67,901✓ |
| Minimum wage | — | $1,900/mo |
| GDP per capita | $114,769✓ | $55,698✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | 0.2%✓ | 2.1%✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | Yes |
| English proficiency | — | Native |
| Coworking spaces | — | 60 |
| Time zone | — | UTC-8 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | — | 74 |
| Safety index | — | 68 |
| Healthcare index | — | 82 |
| Pollution index | — | 30 |
| Internet speed | — | 180 Mbps |
| Walkability | — | 80 |
| Public transport | — | 78 |
| Family-friendly | — | 72 |
| Tap water | — | Safe to drink |
| Life expectancy | 84 yr✓ | 82 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | — | +4 °C |
| July avg | — | +18 °C |
| Sunny days / year | — | 130 |
| Rainfall / year | — | 1,150 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | — | 1.5 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Switzerland vs Canada. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Lugano vs Vancouver — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Lugano
- Currency
- Swiss franc (Fr. CHF)
- Languages
- German, French, Italian
- Power
- J · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
Good to know before you move to Vancouver
Mountains meet ocean in Canada's mildest big city — stunning and outdoorsy, with punishing housing costs.
- Currency
- Canadian dollar ($ CAD)
- Languages
- English, French
- Time zone
- UTC-8
- Internet
- 180 Mbps
- English
- Native language
- Safety
- 68/100
- Climate
- ❄ 4°C · ☀ 18°C · 130 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 120V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Kitsilano · Yaletown · Mount Pleasant
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 Vancouver
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsAviasales
- FlightsCheapOAir
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalDiscoverCars
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Parking & carWay.com
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Lugano to Vancouver: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Lugano to Vancouver, your cost of living will be roughly 16% cheaper. Vancouver’s cost-of-living index is 124 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 Vancouver?
Vancouver is about 16% cheaper than Lugano overall — its cost-of-living index is 124 versus 147 for Lugano.
Which is more expensive, Lugano or Vancouver?
Lugano is more expensive than Vancouver. Its cost-of-living index is 147 vs 124 (US = 100) — about 19% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Lugano or Vancouver?
Rent is cheaper in Lugano — about $1,800/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $2,100 in Vancouver.
How much do you need to earn in Vancouver to live like in Lugano?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Lugano is worth about $63,238 in Vancouver. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Lugano or Vancouver?
Canada has the lower top income-tax rate — 33% 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.