Canton Ticino
Living in Lugano as an expat
30 providers in and around Lugano, by category and language. Every listing is checked by hand.
In short
Lugano is the largest city in Ticino, Switzerland's Italian-speaking canton, with 63,691 permanent residents at the end of 2025, 40.9% of them foreign nationals. The average net rent of a three-room flat in the canton was CHF 1,249 in 2024. The city's tax multiplier for individuals is 80% in 2026. New residents register within eight days.
Lugano in figures
Checked
- Residents
- 63,691
- permanent resident population, City of Lugano; canton 359,783
- 31 Dec 2025 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO/BFS) (opens in a new tab)
- Foreign residents
- 40.9%
- 26,040 people; canton 29.8%
- 31 Dec 2025 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO/BFS) (opens in a new tab)
- English as a main language
- 4.6%
- residents aged 15+, canton figure (FSO structural survey); Italian 87.4%
- 2024 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO/BFS) (opens in a new tab)
- Vacancy rate
- 1.78%
- 4,621 empty homes, canton figure
- 1 June 2026 · Canton of Ticino, Ufficio di statistica (Ustat) (opens in a new tab)
- Rent, 3-room flat
- CHF 1,249 a month
- average net rent of occupied flats, canton figure (USTAT, FSO survey)
- 2024 · Canton of Ticino, Ufficio di statistica (Ustat) (opens in a new tab)
- Tax multiplier
- 80%
- City of Lugano, individuals, of the cantonal base tax; 77% in 2025
- 2026 · Canton of Ticino, Divisione delle contribuzioni (opens in a new tab)
- Monthly transport pass
- CHF 77
- Arcobaleno, 2 zones, adult, 2nd class; 1 zone CHF 51
- 2026 · Comunità tariffale Arcobaleno (opens in a new tab)
- Registration deadline
- 8 days
- after arrival, in person at a Puntocittà counter
- 2026 · City of Lugano (opens in a new tab)
- Cross-border commuters
- 79,219
- foreign cross-border workers in Ticino, annual average; 99.6% live in Italy
- 2025 · Canton of Ticino, Ufficio di statistica (Ustat) (opens in a new tab)
Services in Lugano
30 providers in 9 categories
- Full-service relocation (3)
- Destination services (2)
- Orientation tours (3)
- Settling-in support (4)
- Permit applications (4)
- Immigration consultants (1)
- Immigration lawyers (2)
Movers & storage
- Local movers (1)
Doctors & dentists
Tax & finance
- Tax advisors (2)
- Banks (2)
Insurance advisors
- Insurance brokers (2)
Lawyers & notaries
- General & private client (1)
- Notaries (1)
Schools & childcare
- International schools (1)
- Italian (1)
- Several languages (2)
Featured in Lugano
Premium listings
Prime Relocation
Full-service relocation · LuganoPrime Relocation is a family-owned relocation agency in Zug, founded in 2006, helping expats, families and HR teams with home search, permits, temporary housing, schools and settling in.
Auris Relocation
Full-service relocation · LuganoAuris Relocation is a Swiss relocation and global mobility firm with nine offices from Geneva to Lugano, handling permits, home search, schools and moves for companies and families.
ReloNest
Destination services · LuganoReloNest is a Zurich-based relocation company, founded in 2023, that provides home search, school search, permits and settling-in help through consultants in nine Swiss cities.
How do you register when you move to Lugano?
Everyone who moves to Lugano, Swiss or foreign, reports their arrival in person at a Puntocittà counter within eight days. Bring a valid passport or identity card, the lease and, as a foreign national, your permit or proof that it has been applied for. Permits are issued by the cantonal migration office in Bellinzona.
The city's Puntocittà counters handle arrivals for the residents' office (Controllo abitanti); the one in the centre is at Via della Posta 8. One adult can register the whole family, and someone else can go for you with a power of attorney. The duty to register comes from the cantonal regulation on residents' registers, and the city notes that a missed registration can lead to a fine(lugano.ch, checked ).
Documents for the arrival notice
- A valid passport or identity card
- The rental agreement, or written consent from the landlord or property manager if you live with someone else
- For foreign nationals, the residence permit; if it has not been issued yet, the migration office's confirmation that it is being processed, or a copy of the application
- Your Swiss basic health insurance policy (LAMal), as soon as you have it
- Civil status documents such as marriage or birth certificates, if you already have them
The permit itself comes from the canton: the Ufficio della migrazione at Via Lugano 5 in Bellinzona issues B permits and takes applications online(lugano.ch, checked ). Foreign nationals also report later changes of address to the migration office(lugano.ch, checked ). Our guides to B, L and C permits and registering at your commune explain the general rules.
Everyone who takes up residence in Switzerland must take out basic health insurance within three months; cover then runs back to the day of arrival(FOPH, checked ). The first 90 days in Switzerland guide puts the steps in order.
Your first week in Lugano
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Where do expats live in Lugano?
Lugano is made up of 21 quarters (quartieri), most of them former communes that merged with the city between 1972 and 2013. The city's statistics service groups them into five areas for its rent analysis. In 2025 median asking rents ranged from CHF 17.10 per square metre a month in the north to CHF 25.00 in the east.
The city grew in four rounds of mergers. Brè-Aldesago and Castagnola-Cassarate joined in 1972; Breganzona, Cureggia, Davesco-Soragno, Gandria, Pambio-Noranco, Pazzallo, Pregassona and Viganello in 2004; Barbengo, Carabbia and Villa Luganese in 2008; and Bogno, Cadro, Carona, Certara, Cimadera, Sonvico and Valcolla in 2013. The city now covers 75.8 km², and green space and forest cover almost 70% of it(City of Lugano statistics, checked ).
Several communes around the city remain independent and set their own tax rates, among them Paradiso, Massagno, Sorengo and Collina d'Oro(ti.ch, checked ). Italians are the largest foreign group in the city: 17,395 people, 25.3% of all residents in the city register at the end of 2025(City of Lugano statistics, checked ).
Rents and vacancies
The city's statistics service analyses advertised flats, using listing data from Meta-Sys. In 2025 the median asking rent was CHF 21.30 per square metre a month net, 2.0% lower than in 2024; for three-room flats (trilocali) it was CHF 19.60. Median service charges in new three-room listings were CHF 230 a month, and rental listings stayed online for 48 days on average(City of Lugano statistics, checked ).
Figures for occupied flats are lower because they include older leases: the average net rent of a three-room flat in Ticino was CHF 1,249 a month in 2024, against CHF 1,446 in Switzerland, and CHF 1,695 in buildings completed from 2021 to 2024(Ustat, checked ). On 1 June 2026, 1.78% of the canton's homes stood empty, 4,621 dwellings(Ustat, checked ). Deposits are covered in rental deposits in Switzerland.
Living in Italy and working in Ticino
Many people who work in Ticino live across the border. In 2025 an average of 79,219 foreign cross-border workers were employed in the canton; 78,913 of them lived in Italy, most in the provinces of Como (32,352) and Varese (31,447)(Ustat, checked ). For the insurance side, see Swiss health insurance for expats.
Lugano's quarters by area
| Area | Quarters | Residents | Median asking rent, net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centre | Cassarate, Centro, Molino Nuovo, Pregassona, Viganello | 36,092 | CHF 22.40 per m² a month |
| East | Aldesago, Brè, Castagnola, Cureggia, Gandria | 4,069 | CHF 25.00 per m² a month |
| West | Besso, Breganzona, Loreto | 13,710 | CHF 19.70 per m² a month |
| North | Cadro, Davesco-Soragno, Sonvico, Val Colla, Villa Luganese | 8,263 | CHF 17.10 per m² a month |
| South | Barbengo, Carabbia, Carona, Pambio-Noranco, Pazzallo | 6,404 | CHF 17.60 per m² a month |
Residents on 31 Dec 2025: sum of the city register's statistical quarters, all residents including secondary residences (Caprino, 95 residents, is not assigned to an area). Rents: median monthly net asking rent of flats advertised in 2025. Both from the City of Lugano statistics service.
Lugano and neighbouring communes
| Commune | Residents | Foreign residents | Tax multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lugano | 63,691 | 40.9% | 80% |
| Canobbio | 2,403 | 29.0% | 78% |
| Collina d'Oro | 4,932 | 36.8% | 60% |
| Massagno | 6,976 | 46.6% | 70% |
| Paradiso | 4,806 | 60.8% | 58% |
| Porza | 1,696 | 28.8% | 56% |
| Savosa | 2,315 | 31.6% | 75% |
| Sorengo | 2,153 | 36.2% | 65% |
Permanent resident population and foreign share on 31 Dec 2025: FSO STATPOP. Multipliers for individuals in 2026, in % of the cantonal base tax: Canton of Ticino tax division.
Apartment search in Lugano
Premium and Featured listings are paid and shown first
Prime Relocation
Full-service relocation · LuganoPrime Relocation is a family-owned relocation agency in Zug, founded in 2006, helping expats, families and HR teams with home search, permits, temporary housing, schools and settling in.
Auris Relocation
Full-service relocation · LuganoAuris Relocation is a Swiss relocation and global mobility firm with nine offices from Geneva to Lugano, handling permits, home search, schools and moves for companies and families.
ReloNest
Destination services · LuganoReloNest is a Zurich-based relocation company, founded in 2023, that provides home search, school search, permits and settling-in help through consultants in nine Swiss cities.
What does it cost to live in Lugano?
A couple with a young child in an average three-room flat would pay about CHF 1,249 in net rent, CHF 1,373.30 in basic health premiums and CHF 154 for two two-zone transport passes a month, before childcare and tax. Rents in Ticino are below the Swiss average, while health premiums in the Lugano region are among the highest.
The table builds a monthly example from official figures. Lugano belongs to premium region 1 of Ticino, where the estimated average basic premium for 2027 is CHF 609.30 a month for adults and CHF 154.70 for children(FOPH, checked ). Across the canton the adult average is CHF 603.60, second only to Geneva (CHF 610.60), against CHF 487.60 for Switzerland(FOPH, checked ).
Rent is the canton average for occupied three-room flats, so a new lease will often cost more(Ustat, checked ). Daycare at a city-run centre (nido d'infanzia) is charged by family income, from CHF 27 a full day(LIS, checked ).
Example: couple with one child under three, three-room flat
| Item | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Net rent, three-room flat | CHF 1,249 a month | Canton average, occupied flats, 2024 (USTAT) |
| Basic health insurance, two adults | CHF 1,218.60 a month | CHF 609.30 each, premium region 1, adults 26+, 2027 (FOPH) |
| Basic health insurance, one child | CHF 154.70 a month | Premium region 1, children, 2027 (FOPH) |
| Two monthly passes, two zones | CHF 154 a month | CHF 77 each, adult, 2nd class, 2026 (Arcobaleno) |
| Daycare at a city-run nido | CHF 27 to CHF 66 a day | Full day, by disposable income up to CHF 158,000 (LIS) |
| Income tax | Depends on income | City multiplier 80% for individuals, 2026 |
Service charges (median CHF 230 a month for new three-room listings in 2025), household insurance, food and telecoms are not included. Health figures are averages; your premium depends on insurer, deductible and model.
How much tax do you pay in Lugano?
The communal tax in Lugano is the cantonal base tax multiplied by 80% for individuals in 2026, up from 77% in 2025. Neighbouring Paradiso applies 58% and Massagno 70%. Most foreign employees without a C permit pay tax at source, and the Ticino tax return for 2025 was due on 30 April 2026.
The canton's tax division publishes every commune's multiplier and applies it to the cantonal base tax to calculate the communal tax. Lugano raised its rate for individuals from 77% to 80% for 2026, and for companies from 82% to 85%(ti.ch, checked ). The cantonal and federal taxes come on top of the communal share.
Under tax at source, an ordinary assessment afterwards is compulsory if your gross income is above CHF 120,000 a year. Below that you can apply for one by 31 March of the following year, for example to claim deductions the tariff does not include(ESTV, checked ). Our guide to finding an English-speaking tax advisor explains when outside help is common.
Ticino sends the return forms at the end of February. The 2025 return was due at the local tax office by 30 April 2026; extensions are requested online, and the free eTax program allows electronic filing without a signed paper receipt(ti.ch, checked ).
-
City multiplier 2026
80%
of the cantonal base tax, individuals, City of Lugano.
-
Tax return
30 April
filing date in Ticino; extensions online.
-
Tax at source
CHF 120,000
gross a year, above which an ordinary assessment is compulsory.
Source ESTV (opens in a new tab) ↗
Which schools and childcare are there for expat families in Lugano?
State schools in Lugano teach in Italian. The scuola dell'infanzia takes children from three to six, followed by the scuola elementare, and the city's school institute handles enrolment. Three schools in and around Lugano offer International Baccalaureate programmes, and the city-owned LIS runs daycare centres that charge by family income.
The scuola dell'infanzia is the first stage of the school system and takes children aged three to six(lugano.ch, checked ). To enrol a child in the scuola dell'infanzia or the scuola elementare, families contact the city's school institute (Istituto scolastico, scuole@lugano.ch, 058 866 90 00)(lugano.ch, checked ).
International schools
The International Baccalaureate directory lists these IB World Schools in and around Lugano, in alphabetical order(IB, checked ):
- International School of Switzerland, listed under Lugano: IB Diploma Programme
- International School of Ticino, Cadempino: IB Primary Years, Middle Years, Diploma and Career-related programmes, teaching in English and Italian
- TASIS The American School in Switzerland, Montagnola (Collina d'Oro): IB Diploma Programme, teaching in English
For fees and admissions, see the international schools overview; the directory lists international schools in Lugano.
Daycare
The city's public daycare centres (nidi d'infanzia) are run by its autonomous body LIS (Lugano Istituti Sociali), alongside private centres(lugano.ch, checked ). LIS takes children from three months until they start the scuola dell'infanzia, enrols all year round where places are free, and gives priority to families living in Lugano or in partner communes. Fees depend on family income and the days booked(LIS, checked ).
The published scale runs from CHF 27 a full day for a disposable income up to CHF 56,000 to CHF 66 for CHF 152,001 to 158,000, then rises by CHF 2 for every further CHF 6,000, up to CHF 114 a full day. Parents book at least three days a week. LIS last updated the scale on 19 December 2019(LIS, checked ).
-
City-run daycare
CHF 27 / day
full day at the lowest income band; capped at CHF 114.
-
Scuola dell'infanzia
From age 3
enrolment through the city's school institute.
How does healthcare work in Lugano?
The Ospedale Regionale di Lugano, part of the cantonal hospital group EOC, runs a 24-hour emergency department at its Civico site on Via Tesserete. For urgent advice when your doctor is not available, the guardia medica on 091 800 18 28 answers; call 144 for an ambulance. Basic health insurance is compulsory within three months.
The emergency department (Pronto Soccorso) of the Civico site, Via Tesserete 46, is open every day around the clock, phone 091 811 60 06; the Civico also runs a gynaecological emergency service. At the Italiano site, a family medicine clinic (Ambulatorio di medicina di famiglia) sees patients every day from 10:00 to 18:00, phone 091 811 76 51. The EOC gives 091 800 18 28 as the number of the guardia medica (Ticino Soccorso)(EOC, checked ).
Basic insurance must be in place within three months of arrival(FOPH, checked ). Lugano is in premium region 1, with an estimated average adult premium of CHF 609.30 a month for 2027(FOPH, checked ). Read Swiss health insurance for expats for the rules, and how to find an English-speaking doctor for the search.
-
Emergency department
24/7
Ospedale Regionale di Lugano, Civico, Via Tesserete 46.
Source EOC (opens in a new tab) ↗
-
Guardia medica
091 800 18 28
urgent medical advice; ambulance 144.
Source EOC (opens in a new tab) ↗
How do you get around Lugano?
Public transport in Ticino shares one fare network, Arcobaleno, priced by the number of zones. In 2026 an adult second-class monthly pass costs CHF 51 for one zone and CHF 77 for two, and from eight zones it covers all of Ticino and the Moesano for CHF 237. New fares apply from 13 December 2026.
Monthly passes are personal and loaded on a SwissPass card; the first purchase needs a passport photo, and the pass can start on any day of the month. Young people from 6 to 24 pay a lower second-class rate, CHF 55 a month for two zones in 2026(Arcobaleno, checked ).
From the timetable change on 13 December 2026 the network follows the national fare rise: the two-zone monthly pass goes to CHF 79 and the annual pass to CHF 751, and new saver tickets for set trains are sold through the SBB channels(Arcobaleno, checked ).
Arcobaleno passes, adult, 2nd class
| Zones | Monthly, 2026 | Monthly, from 13 Dec 2026 | Annual, from 13 Dec 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 zone | CHF 51 | CHF 53 | CHF 504 |
| 2 zones | CHF 77 | CHF 79 | CHF 751 |
| 3 zones | CHF 113 | CHF 116 | CHF 1,102 |
| 4 zones | CHF 146 | CHF 149 | CHF 1,416 |
| 8 zones or more | CHF 237 | CHF 242 | CHF 2,299 |
Arcobaleno fare tables checked 21 Oct 2026. The number of zones depends on your route; the network's fare calculator shows it.
Do you need Italian in Lugano?
Italian is the official language of Lugano and Ticino: 87.4% of the canton's residents aged 15 and over named it as a main language in 2024, and 4.6% named English. The canton's integration service supports Italian courses for people arriving from abroad and lists the language tests that count for residence permits.
German was a main language for 9.1% of the canton's residents in 2024. The figures come from the FSO structural survey of residents aged 15 and over, who can name up to three main languages(FSO, checked ).
The Servizio per l'integrazione degli stranieri runs the cantonal integration programme, which supports Italian courses for newcomers; place, times, costs and any childcare are set by each course organiser. The service notes that Italian matters for obtaining or renewing some residence permits and for naturalisation, and lists recognised certificates and tests(ti.ch, checked ). See C permit requirements for the language conditions.
Private courses are listed under language schools in Lugano.
What else do people ask about living in Lugano?
Is Lugano expensive?
Rents are below the Swiss average: CHF 1,249 a month for an average three-room flat in Ticino in 2024, against CHF 1,446 nationally. Health insurance is among the most expensive, at CHF 609.30 a month on average for an adult in the Lugano premium region in 2027.
Do people speak English in Lugano?
In 2024, 4.6% of Ticino's residents aged 15 and over named English as a main language, against 87.4% for Italian. The authorities and state schools work in Italian.
Where do expats live in Lugano?
Across the city's 21 quarters, from Centro and Molino Nuovo to Castagnola and Breganzona, and in independent neighbouring communes such as Paradiso and Massagno, where 60.8% and 46.6% of residents were foreign nationals at the end of 2025.
When do I have to register in Lugano?
Within eight days of arrival, in person or by proxy at a Puntocittà counter. Foreign nationals also deal with the cantonal migration office for their permit.
How long does it take to find a flat in Lugano?
No official figure measures how long a search takes. The city's statistics service found that rental listings stayed online for 48 days on average in 2025, against 86 days in 2021.
Is Paradiso part of Lugano?
No. Paradiso is a separate commune with its own tax multiplier, 58% in 2026 against Lugano's 80%. At the end of 2025 it had 4,806 residents, 60.8% of them foreign nationals.
Can you live in Italy and work in Lugano?
Many people do: in 2025 an average of 78,913 cross-border workers living in Italy were employed in Ticino, most of them from the provinces of Como and Varese.
Which hospital has an emergency department in Lugano?
The Ospedale Regionale di Lugano, Civico site, Via Tesserete 46, open around the clock. For urgent advice, the guardia medica is on 091 800 18 28.
Sources
Last checked by the expat-services.ch editorial team
- Federal Statistical Office (FSO/BFS) Permanent and non-permanent resident population by year, canton, district and commune (STATPOP, in German) (opens in a new tab)
- City of Lugano, Servizio Statistica Urbana Dati statistici al 31 dicembre 2025 (PDF, in Italian) (opens in a new tab)
- City of Lugano, Servizio Statistica Urbana Quartieri: the mergers since 1972 and the 21 quarters (in Italian) (opens in a new tab)
- City of Lugano, Servizio Statistica Urbana Il mercato immobiliare, l'offerta e il fabbisogno di abitazioni a pigione moderata a Lugano, 2025 (PDF, in Italian) (opens in a new tab)
- Canton of Ticino, Ufficio di statistica (Ustat) 09 Costruzioni e abitazioni: key figures, empty dwellings on 1 June 2026 (in Italian) (opens in a new tab)
- Canton of Ticino, Ufficio di statistica (Ustat) Average rent by building period and number of rooms, Switzerland and Ticino, 2024 (T_050401_05C, Excel, in Italian) (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Statistical Office (FSO/BFS) Main languages by major region and canton, 2024 (T 01.08.01.02, in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Canton of Ticino, Divisione delle contribuzioni Moltiplicatori d'imposta comunali 2021 to 2026 (in Italian) (opens in a new tab)
- Canton of Ticino, Dipartimento delle finanze e dell'economia Dichiarazione d'imposta 2025 delle persone fisiche (press release, 26 Feb 2026, in Italian) (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Tax Administration (ESTV) Taxation at source (CHF 120,000 threshold, 31 March; PDF, in German) (opens in a new tab)
- City of Lugano Annuncio d'arrivo: registering an arrival in Lugano (in Italian) (opens in a new tab)
- City of Lugano Permesso di dimora B: residence permit B (in Italian) (opens in a new tab)
- Comunità tariffale Arcobaleno Abbonamento mensile: monthly pass fares valid from 15 Dec 2024 (in Italian) (opens in a new tab)
- Comunità tariffale Arcobaleno Adeguamenti tariffali dal 13.12.2026: new fares (in Italian) (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH/BAG), priminfo Premium regions 2027 with average monthly premium by region (Excel, sheet D_PRIM) (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH/BAG) Health insurance: requirement to obtain insurance for persons resident in Switzerland (opens in a new tab)
- Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC) Informazioni di emergenza: emergency departments and guardia medica (in Italian) (opens in a new tab)
- City of Lugano Nidi d'infanzia: daycare centres (in Italian) (opens in a new tab)
- LIS Lugano Istituti Sociali Iscrizioni, ammissioni e costi: daycare enrolment and fees (in Italian) (opens in a new tab)
- LIS Lugano Istituti Sociali Rette accoglienza Nido d'Infanzia: daycare fee scale, updated 19 Dec 2019 (PDF, in Italian) (opens in a new tab)
- City of Lugano Scuola dell'infanzia (in Italian) (opens in a new tab)
- International Baccalaureate Organization Find an IB World School: Switzerland, Lugano (opens in a new tab)
- Canton of Ticino, Servizio per l'integrazione degli stranieri Corsi di italiano: Italian courses and language tests (in Italian) (opens in a new tab)
- Canton of Ticino, Ufficio di statistica (Ustat) Foreign cross-border workers by Italian province of residence, Ticino, annual average 2003 to 2025 (T_030204_09C, Excel, in Italian) (opens in a new tab)
Guides for this
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The first steps, deadlines and offices anywhere in Switzerland.
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Your first 90 days in Switzerland
Register within 14 days, get health insurance within 3 months, then deposit, tax at source and Serafe: a sourced checklist for your first 90 days.
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B permit in Switzerland: requirements, fees and processing times by canton
How to get a Swiss B permit: EU/EFTA and non-EU rules, steps, documents, and the fees and processing times in seven cantons, from the migration offices.
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