Danilo · Updated 2026-10-15 · Sources: ESTV/FTA tax calculator, tax year 2026; FSO structural survey (average rents 2022-2024); SBB national tariff (point-to-point season ticket); Canton of Vaud cantonal tax administration (vd.ch); Canton of Geneva cantonal tax administration (ge.ch); Federal Act on the Harmonisation of Direct Taxes (StHA, fedlex)
Lausanne, Geneva or La Côte in between? What the tax bill says
Is Nyon or Morges worth it when one job is in Geneva and the other in Lausanne? Say a couple is in exactly that spot. Everyone gives them the same advice: "Get something in Nyon or Morges, you'll each be halfway." On the map, that's hard to argue with. On the tax bill, the answer hangs almost entirely on one thing: are there children in the household?
We ran six municipalities. Lausanne, Renens, Morges and Nyon on the Vaud side, Geneva and Carouge on the Geneva side. The same income everywhere, and two family situations.
The profile we calculated
Every amount below is for CHF 130'000 a year in gross employment income, no church tax, tax year 2026. Each one is federal, cantonal and municipal tax added together, exactly as the federal tax administration's calculator returns it for that municipality. No averages, no estimates. Your own figure will differ: a different income, wealth, pillar 3a contributions or childcare costs all move the result.
| Municipality | Canton | Single | Married, 2 children |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lausanne | VD | CHF 25'370 | CHF 14'117 |
| Renens | VD | CHF 25'224 | CHF 14'030 |
| Morges | VD | CHF 24'254 | CHF 13'444 |
| Nyon | VD | CHF 23'672 | CHF 13'093 |
| Geneva | GE | CHF 23'993 | CHF 7'438 |
| Carouge | GE | CHF 23'355 | CHF 7'235 |
Single: the canton barely matters
Lausanne and Geneva are CHF 25'370 − CHF 23'993 = CHF 1'377 a year apart. That's real money, but spread over twelve months it's no reason to steer a flat search. Nyon even comes out slightly ahead of the city of Geneva: CHF 23'993 − CHF 23'672 = CHF 321 less a year.
Across all six municipalities, the widest gap for a single person is CHF 25'370 (Lausanne) − CHF 23'355 (Carouge) = CHF 2'015. My take: if you're on your own and earn around this much, pick the place for the commute and the flat, not for the tax.
A family with two children: Geneva is roughly half
Same income, but married with two kids, and the picture flips over. Lausanne: CHF 14'117. Geneva: CHF 7'438. The gap is CHF 14'117 − CHF 7'438 = CHF 6'679 a year, about CHF 557 a month (CHF 6'679 ÷ 12). Put differently, the Geneva family pays roughly half of what the Lausanne family does (CHF 7'438 against CHF 14'117).
It isn't a big-city effect. The cheapest Vaud municipality in the sample, Nyon, comes to CHF 13'093, which is CHF 13'093 − CHF 7'438 = CHF 5'655 more than Geneva. Morges: CHF 13'444 − CHF 7'438 = CHF 6'006 more.
Going from "single" to "married with two children" cuts the bill by CHF 25'370 − CHF 14'117 = CHF 11'253 in Lausanne, but by CHF 23'993 − CHF 7'438 = CHF 16'555 in Geneva. The same family is treated far more generously on one side of the cantonal border than on the other.
The gap comes from the canton, not the municipality: Vaud and Geneva treat married couples and children under different rules. The deductions and rate schedules in detail are with the Canton of Vaud's tax administration and the Canton of Geneva's tax administration. For your own case, the federal tax calculator lets you check municipality by municipality.
Within one canton, the municipality matters less
In Vaud the municipal rate moves the bill, but within a narrow band. Single, Lausanne and Nyon are CHF 25'370 − CHF 23'672 = CHF 1'698 apart; as a family, CHF 14'117 − CHF 13'093 = CHF 1'024.
In Geneva the gap between the city and Carouge is smaller still: CHF 23'993 − CHF 23'355 = CHF 638 for a single person and CHF 7'438 − CHF 7'235 = CHF 203 for the family. For a family, then, choosing the canton outweighs choosing the municipality several times over.
One thing to keep in mind: you pay tax where you live, not where you work. Work in Geneva and live in Nyon, and you're taxed in Vaud. If you move from one canton to another mid-year, the canton that taxes you for that year depends as a rule on your residence; for your own case, check with the tax office. The principles are set out in the Federal Act on the Harmonisation of Direct Taxes.
La Côte with a Geneva job: the train comes on top
Back to the example. If one of them works in Geneva and the couple settles in Nyon, someone needs a season ticket. On the SBB national tariff (point-to-point season ticket, 2nd class), Nyon–Geneva costs CHF 250 a month, so CHF 250 × 12 = CHF 3'000 a year. Regional passes may also apply on this route; check their price and zone coverage with SBB or the regional fare network.
On the SBB fare, tax plus train compared with living in Geneva comes to:
- Single: CHF 3'000 of train − CHF 321 lower tax in Nyon = CHF 2'679 more a year.
- Family with two children: CHF 5'655 more tax + CHF 3'000 of train = CHF 8'655 more a
year.
If the other partner works in Lausanne, living in Geneva would add the trip to Lausanne. That fare isn't in our figures and we won't make one up. Run it with your own commute in Zügle.
What about rent?
It matters, but our figures can't settle it. The FSO averages (structural survey) give CHF 1'369 a month for the city of Lausanne and CHF 1'518 for the city of Geneva (2022-2024), so CHF 1'518 − CHF 1'369 = CHF 149 more in Geneva. Those two share the same basis, so that comparison holds.
For Nyon, Morges and Renens, though, our data has no FSO municipal figure: all three get the Vaud cantonal average, CHF 1'465 (2024). Carouge gets the Geneva average, CHF 1'573. A cantonal average says nothing about what a lakeside flat in Nyon actually costs. They are also averages from the federal structural survey, not current listings. For a specific flat, enter its real rent.
What this calculation leaves out
- One income, two profiles. On a much lower or higher income, the Vaud–Geneva gap can
look quite different.
- Two earners in the couple. Our married profile is CHF 130'000 in total; how that splits
between two salaries can change the result.
- Wealth, pillar 3a, childcare costs and church tax are not included.
- Only six municipalities. Other places on La Côte or in the canton of Geneva can fall
outside these ranges.
- None of this is tax advice; it's a reading of public data for one specific example.
And for you?
If you have children and are torn between Vaud and Geneva, run the numbers before you sign a lease. Enter income, rent and commute and you'll see your own case: