Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riehen and Lausanne

For one person, living is cheaper in Riehen: $3,372 a month against $3,716 in Lausanne, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

164

Cost of Living Index in Riehen
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Riehen Living Index
181

Cost of Living Index in Lausanne
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Lausanne Living Index

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Riehen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,372

/mo nomad

Lausanne

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Riehen 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 Riehen and in Lausanne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,372 in Riehen versus $3,716 in Lausanne.

Riehen $3,372
Lausanne $3,716

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,084 in Riehen versus $5,694 in Lausanne.

Riehen $5,084
Lausanne $5,694

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,797 in Riehen versus $7,671 in Lausanne.

Riehen $6,797
Lausanne $7,671

Living in Riehen costs roughly 9% less than in Lausanne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Riehen 150% above, Lausanne 175% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.55 CHF 24.34

$30.26 CHF 24.92

-2.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 CHF 98.5

$115 CHF 94.9

3.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.72 CHF 12.94

$17.67 CHF 14.55

-11.04%

Cappuccino

$6.21 CHF 5.11

$6.17 CHF 5.08

0.65%

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

$4.98 CHF 4.10

$5.08 CHF 4.18

-1.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.26 CHF 4.33

$4.09 CHF 3.37

28.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.15 CHF 5.89

$10.38 CHF 8.55

-31.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.57 CHF 5.41

$9.86 CHF 8.12

-33.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.75

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-4.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CHF 2.59

$3.94 CHF 3.24

-20.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 CHF 2.89

$3.26 CHF 2.69

7.67%

Eggs

$7.13 CHF 5.87

$7.05 CHF 5.81

1.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.83 CHF 20.45

$24.39 CHF 20.09

1.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.86 CHF 20.48

$27.45 CHF 22.61

-9.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.07 CHF 30.53

$38.74 CHF 31.91

-4.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CHF 2.90

$3.47 CHF 2.85

1.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 CHF 1.33

$2.05 CHF 1.69

-21.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 CHF 2.07

$2.44 CHF 2.01

2.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 CHF 3.59

$4.58 CHF 3.77

-4.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.46

$1.77 CHF 1.46

0.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 CHF 1.72

$1.99 CHF 1.64

5.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 CHF 1.80

$1.97 CHF 1.62

11.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 CHF 1.02

$1.66 CHF 1.36

-25.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.91 CHF 8.99

$10.57 CHF 8.71

3.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 CHF 8.56

$15.01 CHF 12.36

-30.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 CHF 2.87

$2.74 CHF 2.25

27.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 CHF 1.91

$3.12 CHF 2.57

-25.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.45 CHF 3.67

$4.43 CHF 3.65

0.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.6 CHF 81.2

$92.8 CHF 76.5

6.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 CHF 8.11

$7.96 CHF 6.55

23.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.02 CHF 3.31

$4.57 CHF 3.76

-12.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.6 CHF 60.6

$85.0 CHF 70.0

-13.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.80

$2.28 CHF 1.87

-4.39%

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

$41.5K CHF 34.1K

$42.3K CHF 34.9K

-2.08%

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

$39.3K CHF 32.3K

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

-0.88%

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

$339 CHF 280

$292 CHF 240

16.26%

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

$41.49 CHF 34.17

$36.21 CHF 29.82

14.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.6 CHF 46.59

$50.5 CHF 41.62

11.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.7 CHF 73.1

$70.0 CHF 57.7

26.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.01 CHF 37.07

$47.43 CHF 39.07

-5.10%

Cinema Ticket

$21.40 CHF 17.63

$24.44 CHF 20.13

-12.44%

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

$1,786 CHF 1,471

$2,850 CHF 2,347

-37.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.6K CHF 30.2K

$37.1K CHF 30.5K

-1.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 CHF 84.0

$142 CHF 117

-28.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 CHF 46.94

$77.7 CHF 64.0

-26.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$165 CHF 136

$138 CHF 114

19.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$183 CHF 151

$214 CHF 176

-14.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,680 CHF 1,384

$2,256 CHF 1,858

-25.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 CHF 1,186

$1,763 CHF 1,452

-18.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,422 CHF 2,819

$4,291 CHF 3,534

-20.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,418 CHF 1,992

$3,206 CHF 2,640

-24.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

$18.2K CHF 15.0K

-13.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.0K CHF 9,867

$14.0K CHF 11.5K

-14.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,642 CHF 7,118

$6,426 CHF 5,292

34.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.31

1.95

18.46%

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

Last update for Riehen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Riehen

$1.4K 42.7%

Lausanne

$1.8K 47.5% 22.5% $324

Groceries & Markets

Riehen

$540 16%

Lausanne

$579 15.6% 7.1% $38

Eating Out

Riehen

$448 13.3%

Lausanne

$477 12.9% 6.6% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riehen

$438 13%

Lausanne

$379 10.2% 13.4% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Riehen

$228 6.8%

Lausanne

$257 6.9% 12.7% $29

Getting Around

Riehen

$146 4.3%

Lausanne

$141 3.8% 3.4% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Riehen

$132 3.9%

Lausanne

$119 3.2% 9.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,680 in Riehen and $2,256 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riehen pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $120 in Riehen vs $115 in Lausanne. Groceries flip the comparison at $540 vs $579, with Riehen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Riehen

🇨🇭 Lausanne

🕒 Local time

06:19 6:19 AM

Same time as Riehen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,970

133,521

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Riehen vs Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Riehen and Lausanne differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($3,372 vs $3,716 including rent). Riehen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Riehen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,680 in Riehen versus $2,256 in Lausanne. 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 $120 versus $115 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,372 per month in Riehen versus $3,716 in Lausanne – a 10% 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, Riehen and Lausanne 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 10% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.