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: $3,544 in Basel versus $3,393 in Lachen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,518 in Basel versus $5,242 in Lachen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,492 in Basel versus $7,091 in Lachen.

Living in Basel is roughly 4% more expensive than in Lachen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 157% above, Lachen 146% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.93 CHF 24.42

$30.30 CHF 24.73

-1.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 102

$124 CHF 101

0.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.69 CHF 15.25

$16.36 CHF 13.35

14.24%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.49

$6.57 CHF 5.36

2.44%

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

$6.33 CHF 5.17

$5.55 CHF 4.53

14.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 CHF 4.78

$5.14 CHF 4.20

14.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.34 CHF 7.62

$8.51 CHF 6.94

9.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 CHF 8.22

$9.60 CHF 7.83

4.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.89

$2.18 CHF 1.78

6.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 CHF 2.49

$3.42 CHF 2.79

-10.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 CHF 2.71

$4.45 CHF 3.63

-25.39%

Eggs

$8.34 CHF 6.80

$7.71 CHF 6.29

8.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.21 CHF 21.39

$26.76 CHF 21.84

-2.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.85 CHF 22.73

$26.93 CHF 21.98

3.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.56 CHF 34.73

$41.68 CHF 34.02

2.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 CHF 2.99

$3.57 CHF 2.91

2.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.96

$2.17 CHF 1.77

10.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 CHF 2.44

$2.66 CHF 2.17

12.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 CHF 3.94

$4.73 CHF 3.86

2.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CHF 1.46

$2.00 CHF 1.63

-10.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 CHF 1.59

$2.20 CHF 1.80

-11.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.90

$2.49 CHF 2.03

-6.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.36

$1.43 CHF 1.17

16.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CHF 9.49

$11.06 CHF 9.03

5.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 CHF 9.99

$13.73 CHF 11.21

-10.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

$2.22 CHF 1.82

12.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.59

$2.80 CHF 2.28

13.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 CHF 3.63

$4.71 CHF 3.84

-5.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 88.3

$89.5 CHF 73.0

20.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.52

$7.66 CHF 6.25

4.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.59 CHF 3.75

$4.86 CHF 3.97

-5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.0 CHF 71.8

$87.4 CHF 71.3

0.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.87

$2.26 CHF 1.84

1.33%

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

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

$44.4K CHF 36.3K

-0.41%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.3K

$40.6K CHF 33.1K

-2.34%

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

$299 CHF 244

$243 CHF 198

23.06%

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

$53.3 CHF 43.47

$32.92 CHF 26.86

61.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 CHF 53.9

$67.5 CHF 55.1

-2.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.8 CHF 70.0

$93.3 CHF 76.1

-8.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.0 CHF 48.17

$48.15 CHF 39.29

22.60%

Cinema Ticket

$23.81 CHF 19.44

$22.20 CHF 18.11

7.25%

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

$3,026 CHF 2,470

$2,904 CHF 2,370

4.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

$44.6K CHF 36.4K

-25.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 120

$144 CHF 118

1.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.6 CHF 66.6

$90.3 CHF 73.7

-9.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 CHF 134

$147 CHF 120

11.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 162

$176 CHF 144

12.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 CHF 1,747

$1,729 CHF 1,411

23.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CHF 1,247

$1,454 CHF 1,187

5.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,615 CHF 2,950

$3,087 CHF 2,519

17.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,890 CHF 2,358

$2,558 CHF 2,088

12.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

$16.1K CHF 13.1K

14.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

$12.3K CHF 10.1K

17.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,336 CHF 5,987

$9,801 CHF 7,998

-25.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

1.72

41.28%

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

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Last update for Lachen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,141 in Basel and $1,729 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 $124 in Lachen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $597 vs $591 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 4% 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 34% 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: $2,141 in Basel versus $1,729 in Lachen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,026 in Basel versus $2,904 in Lachen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% 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 $3,393 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 4% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.