Cost of Living Comparison Between Cham and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Cham and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,622 in Cham versus $3,544 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,410 in Cham versus $5,518 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,198 in Cham versus $7,492 in Basel.

Living in Cham is roughly 2% more expensive than in Basel, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cham 163% above, Basel 157% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.40 CHF 25.63

$29.93 CHF 24.42

4.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 103

$125 CHF 102

0.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.26 CHF 14.91

$18.69 CHF 15.25

-2.30%

Cappuccino

$6.05 CHF 4.94

$6.73 CHF 5.49

-10.10%

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

$5.68 CHF 4.63

$6.33 CHF 5.17

-10.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 CHF 3.91

$5.86 CHF 4.78

-18.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.40 CHF 6.86

$9.34 CHF 7.62

-10.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 CHF 5.57

$10.07 CHF 8.22

-32.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.81

$2.32 CHF 1.89

-4.31%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 CHF 3.30

$3.05 CHF 2.49

32.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 CHF 3.13

$3.32 CHF 2.71

15.36%

Eggs

$7.36 CHF 6.01

$8.34 CHF 6.80

-11.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.93 CHF 22.79

$26.21 CHF 21.39

6.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.68 CHF 22.59

$27.85 CHF 22.73

-0.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.42 CHF 35.44

$42.56 CHF 34.73

2.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 CHF 3.36

$3.66 CHF 2.99

12.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 CHF 1.86

$2.40 CHF 1.96

-5.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 CHF 2.70

$2.99 CHF 2.44

10.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 CHF 3.85

$4.83 CHF 3.94

-2.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.06

$1.79 CHF 1.46

40.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.85

$1.95 CHF 1.59

16.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CHF 2.09

$2.33 CHF 1.90

9.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 CHF 0.98

$1.66 CHF 1.36

-27.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.20 CHF 9.14

$11.63 CHF 9.49

-3.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.61 CHF 11.11

$12.24 CHF 9.99

11.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 CHF 2.34

$2.49 CHF 2.03

15.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CHF 2.62

$3.18 CHF 2.59

0.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.00 CHF 4.08

$4.44 CHF 3.63

12.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 CHF 124

$108 CHF 88.3

40.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.61 CHF 4.58

$7.99 CHF 6.52

-29.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.47 CHF 2.83

$4.59 CHF 3.75

-24.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.9 CHF 50.5

$88.0 CHF 71.8

-29.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.86

$2.29 CHF 1.87

-0.44%

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

$40.6K CHF 33.2K

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

-8.11%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

$39.6K CHF 32.3K

0.75%

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

$288 CHF 235

$299 CHF 244

-3.59%

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

$32.30 CHF 26.36

$53.3 CHF 43.47

-39.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 CHF 46.65

$66.0 CHF 53.9

-13.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.4 CHF 75.4

$85.8 CHF 70.0

7.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.34 CHF 34.56

$59.0 CHF 48.17

-28.27%

Cinema Ticket

$25.03 CHF 20.43

$23.81 CHF 19.44

5.12%

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

$1,818 CHF 1,484

$3,026 CHF 2,470

-39.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

2.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$148 CHF 121

$147 CHF 120

1.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 CHF 49.56

$81.6 CHF 66.6

-25.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$167 CHF 136

$164 CHF 134

2.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$261 CHF 213

$199 CHF 162

31.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 CHF 1,413

$2,141 CHF 1,747

-19.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 CHF 1,199

$1,528 CHF 1,247

-3.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,875 CHF 2,346

$3,615 CHF 2,950

-20.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 CHF 2,189

$2,890 CHF 2,358

-7.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.9K CHF 14.6K

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

-2.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.6K CHF 11.1K

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

-6.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,336 CHF 5,987

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

2.43

-14.81%

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

Last update for Cham: September 7, 2026

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,732 in Cham and $2,141 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $126 in Cham vs $125 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $616 vs $597 per month, with Basel 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

Cham vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Basel wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Cham. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Basel the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,434 in Cham and $5,316 in Basel to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,732 in Cham versus $2,141 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,818 in Cham versus $3,026 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Basel 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 Basel delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,544 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Basel hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cham and Basel 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 Basel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.