The best places for expats to live when working in Lausanne

Lausanne is known to be one of the most picturesque Swiss cities, but it is also a great place to live and work, or raise a family. While the city itself is a great place to live, there are also plenty of overlooked spots nearby that can be quieter and more affordable, while maintaining close proximity to Lausanne. Here are some of the best places outside the city centre that could be your next home!

Montreux 

Located just a 20-minute train ride outside the city centre, the town of Montreux lies on the shores of Lake Geneva, making it the perfect spot to enjoy the landscape at the weekend. The town has nearby forests and rural areas for hiking, walking and cycling after work, while still having all the local amenities. 

Montreux is equipped with supermarkets, clothing shops and many hotels for visitors. There are also ferry links to other cities on Lake Geneva and a station allowing you to access connections to other Swiss cantons as well as the stunning Golden Pass scenic railway line.

Morges 

Home to around 15.000 people and just a 13-minute metro ride from the centre of Lausanne, the municipality of Morges has a lot to offer expats working in the city. With a commutable distance between the town and Lausanne, this quaint area allows expats to focus on building a career in the big city while having a more rural lifestyle.

The median monthly rent for an apartment is actually higher in Morges than Lausanne. In Morges, average monthly rent costs approximately 1.775 Swiss francs, compared to just 1.640 in central Lausanne. However, when it comes to buying, the opposite is true. For those looking to buy a home in Switzerland, the average house price in the Morges is 2,3 million Swiss francs, which is 1 million francs less than the 3,3 million average house price in Lausanne, despite only being a short hop away from the city.

Pully 

Pully is one of the neighbourhoods closest to Lausanne, just four minutes away from the city centre by metro. The area boasts several international schools and is home to offices of numerous international companies such as PwC and Tetra Pak. 

The town also lies on the edge of Lake Geneva, providing families with the perfect opportunity to get outside and enjoy watersports and other outdoor activities. Pully also has a pier and a boat club for boat owners to store, maintain and launch their vessels when the Swiss weather is warm and bright!

Bourg-en-Lavaux 

Bourg-en-Lavaux, which lies further around the lake from Pully, is a municipality created out of the towns of Cully, Epesses, Grandvaux, Riex and Villette, which were combined in 2011 to form the new larger municipality of Bourg-en-Lavaux. The region is surrounded by beautiful landscapes and is home to famous Swiss castles. 

Bourg-en-Lavaux lies an 11-minute train ride away from Lausanne and is equipped with great access to hospitals, stores, supermarkets and public transportation. The region also boasts interesting historical sites and UNESCO-protected traditional Swiss vineyards.

Lausanne for expats

Lausanne has a lot to offer for expats and internationals in terms of jobs, accommodation and lifestyle. The region is especially attractive for French speakers, but approximately 40 percent of the city’s residents are internationals, so it is not compulsory to learn French. 

Hopefully, these out-of-town spots offer a different perspective for expat living in Lausanne, rather than the typical inner-city life that many internationals in Switzerland are used to.