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: $3,706 in Basel versus $3,443 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,904 in Basel versus $5,403 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,102 in Basel versus $7,363 in Cham.

Living in Basel is roughly 8% more expensive than Cham, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 176% above, Cham 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.07 CHF 24.84

$31.00 CHF 24.78

0.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$155 CHF 124

$149 CHF 119

3.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.81 CHF 15.83

$20.08 CHF 16.05

-1.34%

Cappuccino

$6.98 CHF 5.58

$6.92 CHF 5.53

0.87%

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

$5.69 CHF 4.55

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CHF 4.00

$5.09 CHF 4.07

-1.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 CHF 7.83

$9.60 CHF 7.67

2.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 CHF 6.11

$7.30 CHF 5.84

4.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.78

$2.26 CHF 1.80

-1.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 CHF 3.07

$3.36 CHF 2.69

14.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.00 CHF 4.00

$4.11 CHF 3.29

21.65%

Eggs

$8.00 CHF 6.40

$7.30 CHF 5.84

9.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.50 CHF 22.78

$28.12 CHF 22.48

1.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.38 CHF 29.08

$32.90 CHF 26.30

10.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.61 CHF 35.66

$44.82 CHF 35.83

-0.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CHF 3.16

$3.91 CHF 3.12

1.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 CHF 2.16

$2.76 CHF 2.20

-2.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.39

$3.11 CHF 2.48

36.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.84 CHF 5.47

$5.07 CHF 4.06

34.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.52

$2.79 CHF 2.23

12.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CHF 2.29

$2.26 CHF 1.80

26.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CHF 2.11

$2.51 CHF 2.00

4.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CHF 1.20

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.55 CHF 9.23

$10.88 CHF 8.69

6.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.89 CHF 11.10

$13.60 CHF 10.87

2.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 CHF 1.90

$2.33 CHF 1.86

1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CHF 2.44

$3.02 CHF 2.41

1.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 CHF 3.73

$3.95 CHF 3.15

18.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 86.3

$99.1 CHF 79.2

8.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.06 CHF 6.44

$7.68 CHF 6.14

4.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.42

$4.35 CHF 3.47

-1.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 69.7

$85.0 CHF 67.9

2.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.77

$2.30 CHF 1.84

-3.48%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.9K

$40.6K CHF 32.4K

-1.58%

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

$44.8K CHF 35.8K

$38.7K CHF 31.0K

15.57%

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

$308 CHF 246

$254 CHF 203

21.25%

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

$55.1 CHF 44.04

$36.17 CHF 28.91

52.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 CHF 47.84

$58.8 CHF 47.00

1.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.5 CHF 72.3

$89.3 CHF 71.3

1.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.81 CHF 33.42

Cinema Ticket

$23.10 CHF 18.47

$22.72 CHF 18.16

1.67%

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

$2,555 CHF 2,042

$2,568 CHF 2,053

-0.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.2K CHF 27.3K

-0.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 106

$132 CHF 106

0.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.4 CHF 69.1

$62.5 CHF 49.95

38.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$175 CHF 140

$149 CHF 119

18.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$234 CHF 187

$201 CHF 160

16.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 CHF 1,684

$1,674 CHF 1,338

25.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CHF 1,186

$1,451 CHF 1,160

2.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,757 CHF 3,003

$2,848 CHF 2,277

31.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,891 CHF 2,311

$2,461 CHF 1,967

17.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.7K CHF 14.9K

$14.9K CHF 11.9K

25.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.0K CHF 11.2K

$11.9K CHF 9,482

17.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,072 CHF 6,452

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Cham: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,106 in Basel and $1,674 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $155 in Basel vs $149 in Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $691 vs $645 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 8% 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 $5,558 in Basel and $5,164 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: $2,106 in Basel versus $1,674 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,555 in Basel versus $2,568 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% 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 $3,443 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 8% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.