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: $3,658 in Basel versus $3,214 in Lachen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,824 in Basel versus $5,008 in Lachen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,989 in Basel versus $6,801 in Lachen.

Living in Basel is roughly 14% more expensive than in Lachen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 174% above, Lachen 141% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.22 CHF 24.71

$30.40 CHF 24.86

-0.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$157 CHF 128

$151 CHF 123

4.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.82 CHF 16.21

$18.48 CHF 15.11

7.25%

Cappuccino

$7.03 CHF 5.75

$6.17 CHF 5.05

13.94%

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

$5.60 CHF 4.58

$5.92 CHF 4.84

-5.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 CHF 4.18

$5.38 CHF 4.40

-5.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.92 CHF 8.11

$7.39 CHF 6.05

34.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 CHF 6.24

$6.96 CHF 5.69

9.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.83

$2.22 CHF 1.82

0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 3.05

$2.60 CHF 2.12

43.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 CHF 4.20

$2.40 CHF 1.96

113.75%

Eggs

$7.88 CHF 6.44

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.25 CHF 23.91

$27.48 CHF 22.47

6.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.16 CHF 29.57

$14.87 CHF 12.16

143.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.71 CHF 35.74

$41.81 CHF 34.19

4.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 CHF 3.16

$3.12 CHF 2.55

23.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 CHF 2.21

$1.90 CHF 1.56

42.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CHF 3.44

$2.52 CHF 2.06

67.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.92 CHF 5.66

$4.89 CHF 4.00

41.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 CHF 2.65

$2.52 CHF 2.06

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 CHF 2.33

$2.38 CHF 1.94

19.75%

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

$1.10 CHF 0.90

40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.90 CHF 9.73

$10.76 CHF 8.80

10.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.44 CHF 10.99

$13.37 CHF 10.94

0.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 CHF 1.93

$2.26 CHF 1.85

4.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CHF 2.55

$2.27 CHF 1.86

37.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.65 CHF 3.80

$3.79 CHF 3.10

22.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 CHF 87.6

$99.5 CHF 81.4

7.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.15 CHF 6.67

$6.88 CHF 5.63

18.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.16 CHF 3.40

$4.22 CHF 3.45

-1.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.0 CHF 71.1

$78.7 CHF 64.3

10.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.81

$2.11 CHF 1.73

4.74%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.5K

$41.0K CHF 33.5K

-2.91%

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

$44.5K CHF 36.4K

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

8.35%

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

$302 CHF 247

$122 CHF 100

146.77%

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

$53.7 CHF 43.91

$58.5 CHF 47.83

-8.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 CHF 48.35

$52.3 CHF 42.73

13.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.8 CHF 72.6

$87.3 CHF 71.4

1.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.93 CHF 34.29

Cinema Ticket

$23.07 CHF 18.87

$22.44 CHF 18.35

2.81%

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

$2,621 CHF 2,143

$2,872 CHF 2,348

-8.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 28.3K

0.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 111

$121 CHF 99.3

11.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.8 CHF 71.0

$64.4 CHF 52.7

34.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$179 CHF 146

$158 CHF 129

13.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 CHF 191

0.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 CHF 1,692

$1,727 CHF 1,412

19.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 CHF 1,206

$1,462 CHF 1,195

0.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,823 CHF 3,126

$2,804 CHF 2,293

36.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,868 CHF 2,345

$2,466 CHF 2,016

16.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K CHF 14.8K

$16.0K CHF 13.1K

13.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.9K

$12.5K CHF 10.2K

16.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,233 CHF 5,914

$9,975 CHF 8,157

-27.49%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Lachen: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,070 in Basel and $1,727 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $157 in Basel vs $151 in Lachen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $688 vs $511 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 14% 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 38% lower in Lachen. 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: $2,070 in Basel versus $1,727 in Lachen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,621 in Basel versus $2,872 in Lachen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% 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 $3,214 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 14% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.