Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Cham Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Cham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,544 in Basel versus $3,622 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,518 in Basel versus $5,410 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,492 in Basel versus $7,198 in Cham.

Living in Basel costs roughly 2% less than in Cham, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 157% above, Cham 163% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.93 CHF 24.42

$31.40 CHF 25.63

-4.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 102

$126 CHF 103

-0.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.69 CHF 15.25

$18.26 CHF 14.91

2.35%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.49

$6.05 CHF 4.94

11.24%

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

$6.33 CHF 5.17

$5.68 CHF 4.63

11.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 CHF 4.78

$4.79 CHF 3.91

22.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.34 CHF 7.62

$8.40 CHF 6.86

11.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 CHF 8.22

$6.82 CHF 5.57

47.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.89

$2.22 CHF 1.81

4.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 CHF 2.49

$4.05 CHF 3.30

-24.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 CHF 2.71

$3.83 CHF 3.13

-13.32%

Eggs

$8.34 CHF 6.80

$7.36 CHF 6.01

13.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.21 CHF 21.39

$27.93 CHF 22.79

-6.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.85 CHF 22.73

$27.68 CHF 22.59

0.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.56 CHF 34.73

$43.42 CHF 35.44

-1.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 CHF 2.99

$4.12 CHF 3.36

-11.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.96

$2.28 CHF 1.86

5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 CHF 2.44

$3.30 CHF 2.70

-9.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 CHF 3.94

$4.72 CHF 3.85

2.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CHF 1.46

$2.52 CHF 2.06

-28.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 CHF 1.59

$2.27 CHF 1.85

-14.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.90

$2.56 CHF 2.09

-8.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.36

$1.20 CHF 0.98

38.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CHF 9.49

$11.20 CHF 9.14

3.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 CHF 9.99

$13.61 CHF 11.11

-10.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

$2.87 CHF 2.34

-13.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.59

$3.20 CHF 2.62

-0.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 CHF 3.63

$5.00 CHF 4.08

-11.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 88.3

$152 CHF 124

-28.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.52

$5.61 CHF 4.58

42.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.59 CHF 3.75

$3.47 CHF 2.83

32.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.0 CHF 71.8

$61.9 CHF 50.5

42.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.87

$2.28 CHF 1.86

0.44%

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

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

$40.6K CHF 33.2K

8.83%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.3K

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

-0.74%

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

$299 CHF 244

$288 CHF 235

3.72%

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

$53.3 CHF 43.47

$32.30 CHF 26.36

64.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 CHF 53.9

$57.2 CHF 46.65

15.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.8 CHF 70.0

$92.4 CHF 75.4

-7.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.0 CHF 48.17

$42.34 CHF 34.56

39.42%

Cinema Ticket

$23.81 CHF 19.44

$25.03 CHF 20.43

-4.87%

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

$3,026 CHF 2,470

$1,818 CHF 1,484

66.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

-2.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 120

$148 CHF 121

-1.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.6 CHF 66.6

$60.7 CHF 49.56

34.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 CHF 134

$167 CHF 136

-1.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 162

$261 CHF 213

-23.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 CHF 1,747

$1,732 CHF 1,413

23.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CHF 1,247

$1,469 CHF 1,199

4.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,615 CHF 2,950

$2,875 CHF 2,346

25.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,890 CHF 2,358

$2,682 CHF 2,189

7.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

$17.9K CHF 14.6K

2.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

$13.6K CHF 11.1K

6.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,336 CHF 5,987

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

2.07

17.39%

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

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cham: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,141 in Basel and $1,732 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $125 in Basel vs $126 in Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $597 vs $616 per month, with Basel cheaper across the board.

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

Basel vs Cham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Basel wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Cham. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Basel the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,316 in Basel and $5,434 in Cham to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,141 in Basel versus $1,732 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,026 in Basel versus $1,818 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Basel is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Basel delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,544 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Basel hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Cham 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 Basel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.