Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Lachen Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Lachen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,706 in Basel versus $3,186 in Lachen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,904 in Basel versus $4,928 in Lachen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,102 in Basel versus $6,670 in Lachen.

Living in Basel is roughly 16% more expensive than Lachen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 176% above, Lachen 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.07 CHF 24.84

$30.19 CHF 24.13

2.91%

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

$18.41 CHF 14.71

7.60%

Cappuccino

$6.98 CHF 5.58

$6.15 CHF 4.91

13.50%

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

$5.69 CHF 4.55

$5.67 CHF 4.53

0.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CHF 4.00

$5.19 CHF 4.15

-3.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 CHF 7.83

$7.46 CHF 5.96

31.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 CHF 6.11

$6.90 CHF 5.52

10.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.78

$2.28 CHF 1.82

-2.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 CHF 3.07

$2.62 CHF 2.10

46.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.00 CHF 4.00

$2.42 CHF 1.94

106.61%

Eggs

$8.00 CHF 6.40

$8.03 CHF 6.42

-0.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.50 CHF 22.78

$28.06 CHF 22.43

1.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.38 CHF 29.08

$14.85 CHF 11.87

144.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.61 CHF 35.66

$40.43 CHF 32.32

10.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CHF 3.16

$3.22 CHF 2.58

22.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 CHF 2.16

$1.92 CHF 1.54

40.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.39

$2.40 CHF 1.92

76.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.84 CHF 5.47

$4.99 CHF 3.99

37.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.52

$2.59 CHF 2.07

21.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CHF 2.29

$2.27 CHF 1.81

25.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CHF 2.11

$2.58 CHF 2.06

1.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CHF 1.20

$1.10 CHF 0.88

36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.55 CHF 9.23

$11.02 CHF 8.81

4.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.89 CHF 11.10

$11.50 CHF 9.19

20.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 CHF 1.90

$2.24 CHF 1.79

5.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CHF 2.44

$2.39 CHF 1.91

28.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 CHF 3.73

$3.92 CHF 3.13

19.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 86.3

$98.3 CHF 78.6

9.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.06 CHF 6.44

$6.94 CHF 5.54

16.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.42

$4.20 CHF 3.36

1.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 69.7

$80.0 CHF 63.9

9.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.77

$2.13 CHF 1.70

4.23%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.9K

$40.7K CHF 32.5K

-1.74%

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

$44.8K CHF 35.8K

$42.2K CHF 33.7K

6.19%

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

$308 CHF 246

$125 CHF 99.7

147.24%

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

$55.1 CHF 44.04

$59.6 CHF 47.64

-7.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 CHF 47.84

$53.7 CHF 42.93

11.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.5 CHF 72.3

$86.9 CHF 69.4

4.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.81 CHF 33.42

Cinema Ticket

$23.10 CHF 18.47

$21.82 CHF 17.44

5.87%

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

$2,555 CHF 2,042

$2,850 CHF 2,278

-10.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.2K CHF 27.3K

$34.1K CHF 27.2K

0.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 106

$122 CHF 97.5

9.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.4 CHF 69.1

$66.0 CHF 52.8

30.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$175 CHF 140

$155 CHF 124

13.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$234 CHF 187

$236 CHF 188

-0.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 CHF 1,684

$1,666 CHF 1,331

26.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CHF 1,186

$1,457 CHF 1,165

1.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,757 CHF 3,003

$2,792 CHF 2,232

34.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,891 CHF 2,311

$2,442 CHF 1,952

18.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.7K CHF 14.9K

$16.2K CHF 12.9K

15.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.0K CHF 11.2K

$11.7K CHF 9,377

19.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,072 CHF 6,452

$10.1K CHF 8,041

-19.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

2.5

2.00%

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

Last update for Basel: June 8, 2026

Last update for Lachen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,106 in Basel and $1,666 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $155 in Basel vs $149 in Lachen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $691 vs $508 per month, with Lachen 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 Lachen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lachen wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lachen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Lachen earns 25% 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: $2,106 in Basel versus $1,666 in Lachen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,555 in Basel versus $2,850 in Lachen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Lachen 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 Lachen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,186 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lachen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Lachen 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 Lachen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.