Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kriens and Lausanne

For one person, living is cheaper in Kriens: $3,154 a month against $3,832 in Lausanne, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kriens, Switzerland
Lausanne, Switzerland
Kriens
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,154
/mo nomad
Lausanne
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,832
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kriens and in Lausanne

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kriens and in Lausanne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,154 per month in Kriens vs $3,832 in Lausanne, rent included.

  • Kriens $3,154
  • Lausanne $3,832

A couple spends around $4,836 per month in Kriens vs $5,808 in Lausanne, rent included.

  • Kriens $4,836
  • Lausanne $5,808

A family of three spends $6,518 per month in Kriens vs $7,784 in Lausanne, rent included.

  • Kriens $6,518
  • Lausanne $7,784

Kriens is about 18% cheaper than Lausanne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Kriens and Lausanne sit above the global median – Kriens by 133%, Lausanne by 183%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kriens
Lausanne
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$29.66 CHF 24.21
$30.02 CHF 24.51
-1.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$106 CHF 86.4
$116 CHF 94.9
-8.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$18.11 CHF 14.79
$18.37 CHF 15.00
-1.42%
Cappuccino
$5.92 CHF 4.83
$6.17 CHF 5.04
-4.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.13 CHF 4.19
$4.94 CHF 4.03
3.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.78 CHF 3.91
$4.04 CHF 3.30
18.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.05 CHF 4.94
$10.43 CHF 8.52
-41.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.17 CHF 5.86
$9.92 CHF 8.10
-27.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kriens
Lausanne
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.06 CHF 1.68
$2.22 CHF 1.81
-7.21%
White Bread (500g)
$3.68 CHF 3.00
$3.93 CHF 3.21
-6.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.72 CHF 2.22
$3.28 CHF 2.67
-17.07%
Eggs
$7.91 CHF 6.45
$7.35 CHF 6.00
7.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$27.84 CHF 22.73
$25.00 CHF 20.41
11.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$31.26 CHF 25.52
$28.00 CHF 22.86
11.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$41.79 CHF 34.12
$39.86 CHF 32.54
4.84%
Apples (1kg)
$3.00 CHF 2.45
$3.69 CHF 3.02
-18.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.80 CHF 1.47
$2.14 CHF 1.75
-15.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.46 CHF 2.01
$2.48 CHF 2.02
-0.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.44 CHF 4.44
$4.58 CHF 3.74
18.78%
Potato (1kg)
$1.75 CHF 1.43
$1.82 CHF 1.49
-3.85%
Onion (1kg)
$2.05 CHF 1.67
$2.04 CHF 1.67
0.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.28 CHF 1.86
$2.02 CHF 1.65
12.87%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 CHF 1.11
$1.76 CHF 1.44
-22.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.91 CHF 8.91
$11.10 CHF 9.06
-1.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.20 CHF 8.33
$15.26 CHF 12.46
-33.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.59 CHF 2.11
$2.68 CHF 2.19
-3.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 CHF 2.32
$3.29 CHF 2.69
-13.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Kriens
Lausanne
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.51 CHF 3.68
$4.83 CHF 3.94
-6.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$87.4 CHF 71.4
$97.1 CHF 79.3
-9.96%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.13 CHF 5.82
$8.08 CHF 6.60
-11.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$5.94 CHF 4.85
$4.67 CHF 3.81
27.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.66 CHF 29.93
$85.7 CHF 69.9
-57.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.40 CHF 1.96
$2.32 CHF 1.90
3.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.9K CHF 32.6K
$38.7K CHF 31.6K
3.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.2K CHF 32.0K
$39.0K CHF 31.9K
0.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kriens
Lausanne
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$124 CHF 101
$294 CHF 240
-57.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.81 CHF 30.87
$37.95 CHF 30.98
-0.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.9 CHF 46.48
$53.1 CHF 43.39
7.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kriens
Lausanne
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.9 CHF 60.4
$73.8 CHF 60.3
0.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$40.83 CHF 33.34
$48.25 CHF 39.40
-15.38%
Cinema Ticket
$21.90 CHF 17.88
$24.47 CHF 19.98
-10.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kriens
Lausanne
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,213 CHF 2,623
$2,912 CHF 2,378
10.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$41.4K CHF 33.8K
$43.3K CHF 35.3K
-4.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kriens
Lausanne
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.1 CHF 73.6
$144 CHF 118
-37.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$68.8 CHF 56.2
$79.2 CHF 64.7
-13.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 CHF 89.6
$140 CHF 114
-21.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$172 CHF 140
$221 CHF 180
-22.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kriens
Lausanne
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,965 CHF 1,604
$2,445 CHF 1,996
-19.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,428 CHF 1,166
$1,844 CHF 1,506
-22.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,559 CHF 2,089
$4,324 CHF 3,530
-40.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,380 CHF 1,943
$3,239 CHF 2,644
-26.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.4K CHF 11.0K
$18.6K CHF 15.2K
-27.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$9,706 CHF 7,924
$13.8K CHF 11.3K
-29.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kriens
Lausanne
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$6,545 CHF 5,343
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.9
1.95
-2.56%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Kriens: November 1, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kriens
$1.4K
Lausanne
$1.8K 29.2% $416
Groceries & Markets
Kriens
$602
Lausanne
$592 1.7% $9.9
Eating Out
Kriens
$447
Lausanne
$477 6.8% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kriens
$219
Lausanne
$385 75.9% $166
Clothing & Footwear
Kriens
$198
Lausanne
$263 32.6% $65
Getting Around
Kriens
$142
Lausanne
$148 3.9% $5.5
Sport & Entertainment
Kriens
$118
Lausanne
$123 4.3% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,965 in Kriens versus $2,445 in Lausanne. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $106 in Kriens versus $116 in Lausanne. Groceries tell a different story – $602 in Kriens vs $592 in Lausanne – so Lausanne wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇭 Kriens
🇨🇭 Lausanne
🕒 Local time
10:16 10:16 AM
10:16 10:16 AM
Same time as Kriens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
25,932
133,521
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.816 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.917 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kriens Lausanne 140 km
From you
  • Kriens
  • Lausanne

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Kriens vs Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kriens or Lausanne?
Lausanne costs about 22% more than Kriens, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Kriens and in Lausanne?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,730 per month in Kriens and $5,748 in Lausanne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Kriens or Lausanne?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kriens, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,965 there versus $2,445 in Lausanne.
How much does it cost to live in Kriens compared to Lausanne?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,154 in Kriens and $3,832 in Lausanne. That makes Kriens about 18% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Kriens and in Lausanne?
Kindergarten costs $3,213 per month in Kriens and $2,912 in Lausanne. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Kriens or in Lausanne?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,154 in Kriens and $3,832 in Lausanne. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Kriens or Lausanne?
It depends on your priorities. Lausanne has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,154 in Kriens to $3,832 in Lausanne. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Kriens compared to Lausanne?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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