A Travel Price Comparison for Switzerland Zurich vs. Lucerne for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Zurich or Lucerne?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Zurich and Lucerne. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Zurich

Zurich has the biggest connection for trains in Switzerland. It also has the country's biggest and busiest airport. Because of its importance as a transportation center, it is likely to be the first place you visit in Switzerland. It is the financial capital of the country (although, contrary to what you may have thought, not the political capital). It has many international companies, and is home to the country's stock exchange.

Lucerne

Lucerne is a relatively small city in the center of Switzerland. It is located across the lake from Altdorf and it has a thriving tourism industry. It's close proximity to many of the major sights in the country make it a great base for exploration. Many people use it as a jumping off point for exploring Mount Rigi and the Rutli Meadow.

Which city is cheaper, Lucerne or Zurich?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Zurich is $202, while the average daily cost in Lucerne is $163. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Zurich and Lucerne in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Zurich $128
    Lucerne $104
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Zurich $256
    Lucerne $208

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Zurich $27
    Lucerne $9.53
Typical Local Transportation prices in Zurich

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Zurich:


  • City Pass (2)
    $27

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Zurich

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Zurich:

  • Private Transfer Zurich Airport or City ⇔ Zermatt: $1,374
  • Private Taxi Transfer: Zurich Airport ⇔ Zermatt both directions: $1,374
  • Private Transfer: Zurich Airport to St. Anton am Arlberg: $1,355
  • Private transfer Zurich Airport to Zermatt (Täsch) (1-3 persons): $1,131
  • Private transfer Zurich Airport to St. Moritz (1-3 persons): $970
  • Private transfer Zurich Airport to Montreux (1-3 persons): $918
  • Private Transfer: Zurich Airport to Davos: $887
  • Premium Transfer from Zürich Airport or city to Davos or Klosters or back: $862
  • Private Transfer: Zurich Airport to Andermatt: $702
  • Private Arrival Transfer: from Zurich Airport to Disentis: $693
  • Private Arrival transfer: from Zurich Airport to Gstaad Saanen: $693
  • Private Arrival Transfer: from Zurich Airport to St. Moritz: $693

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lucerne

Also for Lucerne, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private transfer from Lucerne City to Lucerne Train Station: $110
  • Zurich Airport Transfers : Lucerne City to Zurich Airport ZRH in Business Car: $118
  • Private Transfer from Lucerne City to interlaken City: $174
  • Departure Private Transfer Lucerne-Basel-Bern to Zurich Airport by Business Car: $191
  • Between Basel and Luzern: One-Way Private Transfer: $193
  • Zurich Airport Transfers : Lucerne City to Zurich Airport ZRH in Luxury Van: $207
  • From Canyoning in Interlaken w/ Return Transfer: $239
  • Rafting in Interlaken with Return Transfer from Lucerne: $239
  • Zurich Airport: Private Transfer to/from Lucerne: $240
  • Departure Private Transfer Lucerne-Basel-Bern to Zurich Airport by Luxury Van: $251
  • Private transfer from Lucerne City to Zurich Airport: $271
  • ZRH Airport - Lucern City (Transfer Service): $287

Is it cheaper to fly into Zurich or Lucerne?

Prices for flights to both Lucerne and Zurich change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Zurich $47
    Lucerne $47
Typical Food prices in Zurich

Some typical examples of dining costs in Zurich are as follows:


  • Breakfast for 2
    $13

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Zurich

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Zurich.

  • Culinary Tour from Zurich with Traditional Swiss Cheese Fondue Dinner: $154
  • Overnight Mount Titlis including 4-course dinner: $545

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Zurich $27
    Lucerne $26

Tours and Activities in Zurich

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Zurich are as follows:

  • 2-Day Alps Tour from Mt Pilatus and Mt Titlis: $592
  • 2-Day Jungfraujoch Top of Europe Tour from Interlaken or Grindelwald: $557
  • 2-Day Mt Rigi Tour from Zurich Including Mineral Baths and Lake Lucerne Cruise: $474
  • 2-Day Switzerland Tour from Zurich to Geneva: Mt.Titlis,Interlaken,Bern,Gruyères: $693
  • 2-Day Winter Tour from Mt Pilatus and Mt Titlis: $592
  • 2-hour Private Guided Zurich Downtown Tour: $225
  • 3 in 1: Zurich Walking Tour - Cruise on the Lake - Cable Car Ride to Felsenegg: $98
  • 3-Day Glacier Express Self-Guided Tour from Zurich: $556
  • 3-Day GoldenPass Line Self-Guided Tour from Zurich: $439
  • 4-Day Glacier and Bernina Express Self-Guided Tour from Zurich: $768
  • 4-Day Switzerland Tour from Zurich Including Mt. Titlis Cable Car: $1,662
  • 5-Day Famous Mountain Peaks Self-Guided Tour from Zurich: $982

Typical Entertainment prices in Lucerne

For Lucerne, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:


  • 1 Day Bicycle Rental
    $32
  • The Swiss Transport Museum Entrance Fee
    $33

Tours and Activities in Lucerne

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Lucerne.

  • Swiss Chocolate Adventure Experience at Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne: $19
  • Lucerne Swiss Museum of Transport Entrance Ticket: $39
  • Mount Titlis: Admission Ticket: $52
  • Pearls of Switzerland Cristina Tschuppert Private city walking tour Lucerne: $178
  • Day Trip from Grindelwald First Mountain Adventure: $206
  • Chocolate World Experience and Tasting Private Tour from Luzern: $226
  • Lucerne City Walking Tour in Portuguese (1-2 guests): $231
  • Luzern City Tour with Lake Cruise Private Tour: $231
  • Lake Lucerne Villas & Castles Private Walking Tour: $234
  • Lake Lucerne Castles and Villas Tour: $261
  • Mount Rigi with Lake Cruise Private Tour from Luzern: $279
  • ALL TRANSPORT INCLUSIVE Mt. Pilatus Guided Golden Roundtrip Tour: $280

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Zurich $22
    Lucerne $17

Sample the Local Flavors in Zurich

Also in Zurich, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Pub Crawl Zurich: $29

Sample the Local Flavors in Lucerne

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Lucerne:

  • Chocolate, Cheese and Wine Tour in Luzern region: $627

About these numbers

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Zurich and Lucerne, we can see that Zurich is more expensive. And not only is Lucerne much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Lucerne would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Lucerne and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Zurich would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Zurich than you might in Lucerne.

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Zurich vs. Lucerne Travel Comparison

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