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: $3,682 in Basel versus $3,260 in Lachen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,815 in Basel versus $4,998 in Lachen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,949 in Basel versus $6,737 in Lachen.

Living in Basel is roughly 13% more expensive than Lachen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 175% above, Lachen 143% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.08 CHF 24.37

$30.65 CHF 24.03

1.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 121

$149 CHF 117

3.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.09 CHF 15.75

$18.42 CHF 14.44

9.07%

Cappuccino

$6.99 CHF 5.48

$6.43 CHF 5.04

8.71%

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

$5.70 CHF 4.47

$5.85 CHF 4.58

-2.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 CHF 3.95

$5.17 CHF 4.05

-2.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.72 CHF 7.62

$7.59 CHF 5.95

28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.54 CHF 5.91

$7.17 CHF 5.62

5.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.70

$2.21 CHF 1.73

-1.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.70 CHF 2.90

$2.57 CHF 2.01

43.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.95 CHF 3.88

$2.50 CHF 1.96

98.00%

Eggs

$7.99 CHF 6.26

$8.17 CHF 6.41

-2.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.33 CHF 22.21

$27.43 CHF 21.50

3.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.87 CHF 28.91

$14.67 CHF 11.50

151.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.59 CHF 34.96

$41.08 CHF 32.20

8.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 CHF 3.00

$3.17 CHF 2.49

20.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 CHF 2.16

$1.88 CHF 1.48

46.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 CHF 3.14

$2.49 CHF 1.95

61.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.13 CHF 5.59

$5.07 CHF 3.98

40.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 CHF 2.55

$2.49 CHF 1.95

30.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 CHF 2.22

$2.26 CHF 1.77

25.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 CHF 2.08

$2.48 CHF 1.95

6.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$1.14 CHF 0.89

35.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.59 CHF 9.08

$10.74 CHF 8.42

7.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 CHF 11.99

$11.78 CHF 9.23

29.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 CHF 1.93

$2.19 CHF 1.72

12.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 CHF 2.36

$2.31 CHF 1.81

29.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.81 CHF 3.77

$3.88 CHF 3.04

23.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.2

$99.2 CHF 77.8

5.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.91 CHF 6.20

$6.86 CHF 5.38

15.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.33 CHF 3.40

$4.15 CHF 3.25

4.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.4 CHF 67.7

$79.2 CHF 62.1

9.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.69

$2.20 CHF 1.72

-2.27%

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

$41.0K CHF 32.1K

$39.8K CHF 31.2K

2.92%

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

$45.7K CHF 35.8K

$40.9K CHF 32.0K

11.86%

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

$299 CHF 234

$122 CHF 95.4

145.61%

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

$54.1 CHF 42.40

$60.3 CHF 47.26

-10.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 CHF 46.69

$54.2 CHF 42.50

9.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.5 CHF 70.9

$89.6 CHF 70.3

0.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.79 CHF 32.77

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 CHF 17.57

$22.05 CHF 17.29

1.63%

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

$2,607 CHF 2,044

$2,857 CHF 2,240

-8.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.0K CHF 27.4K

$34.8K CHF 27.3K

0.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 106

$124 CHF 97.4

8.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.4 CHF 69.3

$64.8 CHF 50.8

36.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$177 CHF 139

$154 CHF 121

14.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$228 CHF 178

$236 CHF 185

-3.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,067 CHF 1,621

$1,712 CHF 1,342

20.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,477 CHF 1,158

$1,455 CHF 1,141

1.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,728 CHF 2,923

$2,836 CHF 2,224

31.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,817 CHF 2,209

$2,419 CHF 1,897

16.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K CHF 14.2K

$13.9K CHF 10.9K

30.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.4K CHF 10.5K

$10.6K CHF 8,344

25.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,835 CHF 6,143

$10.2K CHF 8,035

-23.55%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Lachen: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,067 in Basel and $1,712 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $154 in Basel vs $149 in Lachen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $694 vs $507 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 13% 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 31% 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: $2,067 in Basel versus $1,712 in Lachen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,607 in Basel versus $2,857 in Lachen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% 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 $3,260 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 13% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.