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: $3,658 in Basel versus $3,528 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,824 in Basel versus $5,360 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,989 in Basel versus $7,192 in Cham.

Living in Basel is roughly 4% more expensive than in Cham, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 174% above, Cham 164% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.22 CHF 24.71

$30.86 CHF 25.23

-2.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$157 CHF 128

$147 CHF 121

6.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.82 CHF 16.21

$19.66 CHF 16.08

0.81%

Cappuccino

$7.03 CHF 5.75

$6.74 CHF 5.51

4.30%

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

$5.60 CHF 4.58

$5.51 CHF 4.51

1.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 CHF 4.18

$4.98 CHF 4.07

2.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.92 CHF 8.11

$10.05 CHF 8.22

-1.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 CHF 6.24

$7.68 CHF 6.28

-0.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.83

$2.24 CHF 1.83

-0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 3.05

$3.33 CHF 2.72

12.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 CHF 4.20

$4.15 CHF 3.39

23.61%

Eggs

$7.88 CHF 6.44

$7.22 CHF 5.91

9.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.25 CHF 23.91

$28.77 CHF 23.52

1.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.16 CHF 29.57

$33.10 CHF 27.07

9.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.71 CHF 35.74

$44.54 CHF 36.42

-1.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 CHF 3.16

$4.02 CHF 3.29

-3.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 CHF 2.21

$2.72 CHF 2.22

-0.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CHF 3.44

$2.98 CHF 2.44

41.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.92 CHF 5.66

$5.05 CHF 4.13

37.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 CHF 2.65

$2.87 CHF 2.34

12.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 CHF 2.33

$2.30 CHF 1.88

23.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CHF 2.13

$2.57 CHF 2.10

1.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.27

$1.52 CHF 1.24

1.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.90 CHF 9.73

$11.20 CHF 9.16

6.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.44 CHF 10.99

$13.01 CHF 10.64

3.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 CHF 1.93

$2.38 CHF 1.94

-0.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CHF 2.55

$3.17 CHF 2.59

-1.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.65 CHF 3.80

$3.88 CHF 3.17

19.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 CHF 87.6

$99.1 CHF 81.0

8.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.15 CHF 6.67

$7.77 CHF 6.35

4.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.16 CHF 3.40

$4.15 CHF 3.40

0.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.0 CHF 71.1

$86.3 CHF 70.6

0.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.81

$2.25 CHF 1.84

-1.78%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.5K

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

-3.22%

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

$44.5K CHF 36.4K

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

11.53%

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

$302 CHF 247

$255 CHF 209

18.34%

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

$53.7 CHF 43.91

$35.13 CHF 28.73

52.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 CHF 48.35

$58.9 CHF 48.16

0.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.8 CHF 72.6

$86.2 CHF 70.5

2.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.93 CHF 34.29

Cinema Ticket

$23.07 CHF 18.87

$22.76 CHF 18.61

1.36%

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

$2,621 CHF 2,143

$2,609 CHF 2,133

0.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 28.3K

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

1.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 111

$132 CHF 108

2.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.8 CHF 71.0

$60.6 CHF 49.57

43.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$179 CHF 146

$148 CHF 121

20.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 CHF 191

$204 CHF 167

14.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 CHF 1,692

$1,705 CHF 1,394

21.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 CHF 1,206

$1,469 CHF 1,201

0.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,823 CHF 3,126

$2,825 CHF 2,310

35.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,868 CHF 2,345

$2,506 CHF 2,049

14.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K CHF 14.8K

$16.9K CHF 13.8K

7.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.9K

$14.1K CHF 11.5K

3.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,233 CHF 5,914

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

2.09

22.01%

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

Last update for Basel: July 20, 2026

Last update for Cham: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,070 in Basel and $1,705 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $157 in Basel vs $147 in Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $688 vs $646 per month, with Cham 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

Cham wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cham the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,487 in Basel and $5,293 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: $2,070 in Basel versus $1,705 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,621 in Basel versus $2,609 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Cham 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 Cham delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,528 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cham 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 Cham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.