Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Lachen

For one person, living is cheaper in Lachen: $3,423 a month against $3,669 in Basel, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

176

Cost of Living Index in Basel
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Basel Living Index
165

Cost of Living Index in Lachen
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Lachen Living Index

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Basel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,669

/mo nomad

Lachen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,423

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basel and in Lachen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Basel and in Lachen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,669 in Basel versus $3,423 in Lachen.

Basel $3,669
Lachen $3,423

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,649 in Basel versus $5,210 in Lachen.

Basel $5,649
Lachen $5,210

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,629 in Basel versus $6,997 in Lachen.

Basel $7,629
Lachen $6,997

Living in Basel is roughly 7% more expensive than in Lachen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 170% above, Lachen 152% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.27 CHF 25.11

$32.82 CHF 27.23

-7.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 104

$119 CHF 98.5

5.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.91 CHF 14.86

$16.19 CHF 13.43

10.62%

Cappuccino

$6.52 CHF 5.41

$6.35 CHF 5.27

2.68%

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

$6.47 CHF 5.37

$5.83 CHF 4.83

10.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 CHF 4.90

$5.06 CHF 4.20

16.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.41 CHF 7.81

$8.32 CHF 6.90

13.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.48 CHF 7.87

$9.35 CHF 7.76

1.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.90

$2.23 CHF 1.85

2.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 CHF 2.52

$3.27 CHF 2.71

-7.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 CHF 2.72

$4.34 CHF 3.60

-24.65%

Eggs

$7.97 CHF 6.61

$7.60 CHF 6.31

4.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.34 CHF 21.85

$26.92 CHF 22.33

-2.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.32 CHF 22.66

$25.91 CHF 21.50

5.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.15 CHF 34.13

$40.57 CHF 33.65

1.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CHF 3.07

$3.58 CHF 2.97

3.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.91

$2.04 CHF 1.70

12.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 CHF 2.51

$2.60 CHF 2.15

16.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.54 CHF 3.77

$4.83 CHF 4.00

-6.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 CHF 1.39

$2.04 CHF 1.70

-17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 CHF 1.58

$2.17 CHF 1.80

-11.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CHF 1.88

$2.35 CHF 1.95

-3.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CHF 1.32

$1.43 CHF 1.19

11.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.15 CHF 9.25

$10.97 CHF 9.10

1.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 CHF 9.87

$13.13 CHF 10.89

-9.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CHF 2.03

$2.32 CHF 1.92

5.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CHF 2.52

$3.46 CHF 2.87

-12.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.21 CHF 4.33

$4.39 CHF 3.64

18.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 86.9

$103 CHF 85.1

2.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.98 CHF 6.62

$7.85 CHF 6.51

1.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.61 CHF 3.83

$4.92 CHF 4.08

-6.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$83.3 CHF 69.1

$87.3 CHF 72.4

-4.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.42 CHF 2.01

$2.17 CHF 1.80

11.52%

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

$38.3K CHF 31.8K

-0.04%

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

$40.0K CHF 33.2K

$39.0K CHF 32.3K

2.62%

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

$296 CHF 245

$237 CHF 197

24.55%

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

$46.31 CHF 38.42

$32.20 CHF 26.72

43.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 CHF 52.4

$65.7 CHF 54.5

-3.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.0 CHF 68.0

$89.4 CHF 74.1

-8.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.3 CHF 48.33

$45.79 CHF 37.99

27.23%

Cinema Ticket

$22.84 CHF 18.95

$21.98 CHF 18.23

3.91%

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

$3,139 CHF 2,604

$2,810 CHF 2,331

11.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K CHF 27.1K

$44.5K CHF 36.9K

-26.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$144 CHF 120

$137 CHF 114

5.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.9 CHF 66.3

$86.5 CHF 71.8

-7.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 132

$146 CHF 121

9.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$195 CHF 162

$173 CHF 143

13.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,087 CHF 1,732

$1,781 CHF 1,477

17.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 CHF 1,366

$1,486 CHF 1,233

10.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,618 CHF 3,001

$2,940 CHF 2,439

23.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,966 CHF 2,461

$2,494 CHF 2,069

18.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.5K CHF 14.5K

$16.4K CHF 13.6K

6.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.7K CHF 11.4K

$12.5K CHF 10.4K

9.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,080 CHF 5,873

$9,492 CHF 7,874

-25.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.42

1.72

40.70%

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

Last update for Basel: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lachen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Basel

$1.6K 44.9%

Lachen

$1.5K 43.4% 9.7% $160

Groceries & Markets

Basel

$584 15.9%

Lachen

$581 17% 0.4% $2.4

Eating Out

Basel

$490 13.3%

Lachen

$491 14.4% 0.3% $1.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basel

$405 11%

Lachen

$335 9.8% 17.3% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Basel

$261 7.1%

Lachen

$244 7.1% 6.5% $17

Getting Around

Basel

$157 4.3%

Lachen

$153 4.5% 2.6% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Basel

$128 3.5%

Lachen

$133 3.9% 4.4% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,087 in Basel and $1,781 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen 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: $125 in Basel vs $119 in Lachen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $584 vs $581 per month, with Lachen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Basel

🇨🇭 Lachen

🕒 Local time

18:39 6:39 PM

Same time as Basel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,491

9,000

💱 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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Basel Lachen 100 km

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Basel
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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

Basel vs Lachen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lachen wins on cost – living expenses run 7% 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, salaries run 25% lower in Basel. 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: $2,087 in Basel versus $1,781 in Lachen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,669 per month in Basel versus $3,423 in Lachen – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Dining out is cheaper in Lachen – a meal for two runs $119 versus $125 in Basel. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 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, 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.