Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Riehen Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Riehen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,565 in Lausanne versus $3,422 in Riehen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,676 in Lausanne versus $5,275 in Riehen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,788 in Lausanne versus $7,127 in Riehen.

Living in Lausanne is roughly 4% more expensive than Riehen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 166% above, Riehen 155% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.84 CHF 25.98

$30.79 CHF 24.36

6.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$145 CHF 115

$143 CHF 113

1.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.73 CHF 14.82

$18.19 CHF 14.39

2.97%

Cappuccino

$6.07 CHF 4.80

$6.04 CHF 4.77

0.50%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 CHF 4.43

$5.43 CHF 4.29

2.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 CHF 3.72

$4.90 CHF 3.88

-4.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.64 CHF 7.62

$8.15 CHF 6.45

18.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.41 CHF 6.65

$7.61 CHF 6.02

10.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.73

$2.14 CHF 1.69

2.34%

White Bread (500g)

$4.17 CHF 3.30

$3.45 CHF 2.73

20.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 CHF 3.55

$4.06 CHF 3.21

10.34%

Eggs

$7.01 CHF 5.54

$7.43 CHF 5.88

-5.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.22 CHF 20.74

$29.12 CHF 23.04

-9.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.78 CHF 22.76

$33.42 CHF 26.44

-13.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$52.0 CHF 41.11

$46.83 CHF 37.04

10.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 CHF 2.85

$3.71 CHF 2.93

-2.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 CHF 1.74

$2.27 CHF 1.79

-3.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.33

$2.99 CHF 2.36

-1.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.43 CHF 5.09

$6.44 CHF 5.09

-0.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 CHF 1.99

$2.41 CHF 1.91

4.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$2.40 CHF 1.90

-2.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 1.97

$2.51 CHF 1.99

-0.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CHF 1.10

$1.37 CHF 1.09

1.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.93 CHF 8.65

$11.26 CHF 8.90

-2.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 CHF 12.75

$12.21 CHF 9.66

31.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 CHF 1.59

$2.46 CHF 1.95

-18.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CHF 2.53

$3.33 CHF 2.63

-3.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.74 CHF 3.75

$4.00 CHF 3.17

18.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.6 CHF 77.2

$98.6 CHF 78.0

-0.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.98 CHF 6.31

$7.71 CHF 6.10

3.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 CHF 2.58

$4.19 CHF 3.32

-22.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.6 CHF 53.4

$78.9 CHF 62.4

-14.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$2.22 CHF 1.76

-3.15%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$41.1K CHF 32.5K

$40.7K CHF 32.2K

0.92%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$41.7K CHF 33.0K

$42.0K CHF 33.2K

-0.69%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$322 CHF 255

$264 CHF 209

22.02%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$50.3 CHF 39.79

$48.79 CHF 38.60

3.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 CHF 45.57

$58.0 CHF 45.89

-0.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 CHF 60.1

$87.7 CHF 69.4

-13.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.71 CHF 37.74

$25.41 CHF 20.10

87.76%

Cinema Ticket

$26.56 CHF 21.01

$22.89 CHF 18.10

16.03%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,763 CHF 2,186

$2,930 CHF 2,318

-5.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K CHF 27.2K

$34.7K CHF 27.4K

-0.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 CHF 87.2

$135 CHF 107

-18.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.2 CHF 55.6

$67.6 CHF 53.5

3.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 118

$149 CHF 117

0.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 146

$189 CHF 150

-2.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CHF 1,451

$1,721 CHF 1,362

6.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 CHF 1,176

$1,496 CHF 1,183

-0.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,523 CHF 2,787

$2,833 CHF 2,241

24.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,944 CHF 2,329

$2,499 CHF 1,977

17.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.6K CHF 15.5K

$13.0K CHF 10.3K

50.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.4K CHF 11.4K

$10.5K CHF 8,285

37.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,571 CHF 5,989

$8,819 CHF 6,976

-14.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

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

Last update for Lausanne: June 2, 2026

Last update for Riehen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,834 in Lausanne and $1,721 in Riehen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riehen pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $145 in Lausanne vs $143 in Riehen. Groceries flip the comparison at $651 vs $655, with Lausanne cheaper for home cooking.

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

Lausanne vs Riehen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lausanne and Riehen differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($3,565 vs $3,422 including rent). Riehen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Riehen earns 16% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,834 in Lausanne versus $1,721 in Riehen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Riehen – a meal for two runs $143 versus $145 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,565 per month in Lausanne versus $3,422 in Riehen – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Riehen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lausanne and Riehen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Riehen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.