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: $3,528 in Cham versus $3,658 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,360 in Cham versus $5,824 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,192 in Cham versus $7,989 in Basel.

Living in Cham costs roughly 4% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cham 164% above, Basel 174% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 CHF 25.23

$30.22 CHF 24.71

2.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 121

$157 CHF 128

-6.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.66 CHF 16.08

$19.82 CHF 16.21

-0.81%

Cappuccino

$6.74 CHF 5.51

$7.03 CHF 5.75

-4.13%

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

$5.51 CHF 4.51

$5.60 CHF 4.58

-1.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 CHF 4.07

$5.11 CHF 4.18

-2.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.05 CHF 8.22

$9.92 CHF 8.11

1.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.68 CHF 6.28

$7.63 CHF 6.24

0.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.83

$2.23 CHF 1.83

0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 CHF 2.72

$3.73 CHF 3.05

-10.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.39

$5.13 CHF 4.20

-19.10%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.91

$7.88 CHF 6.44

-8.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.77 CHF 23.52

$29.25 CHF 23.91

-1.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.10 CHF 27.07

$36.16 CHF 29.57

-8.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.54 CHF 36.42

$43.71 CHF 35.74

1.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 CHF 3.29

$3.86 CHF 3.16

4.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 CHF 2.22

$2.71 CHF 2.21

0.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.44

$4.21 CHF 3.44

-29.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 CHF 4.13

$6.92 CHF 5.66

-27.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 CHF 2.34

$3.24 CHF 2.65

-11.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.88

$2.85 CHF 2.33

-19.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CHF 2.10

$2.61 CHF 2.13

-1.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CHF 1.24

$1.55 CHF 1.27

-1.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.20 CHF 9.16

$11.90 CHF 9.73

-5.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.01 CHF 10.64

$13.44 CHF 10.99

-3.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CHF 1.94

$2.36 CHF 1.93

0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 CHF 2.59

$3.12 CHF 2.55

1.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.88 CHF 3.17

$4.65 CHF 3.80

-16.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.1 CHF 81.0

$107 CHF 87.6

-7.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 CHF 6.35

$8.15 CHF 6.67

-4.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.15 CHF 3.40

$4.16 CHF 3.40

-0.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.3 CHF 70.6

$87.0 CHF 71.1

-0.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

$2.21 CHF 1.81

1.81%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

$39.8K CHF 32.5K

3.33%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

$44.5K CHF 36.4K

-10.34%

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

$255 CHF 209

$302 CHF 247

-15.50%

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

$35.13 CHF 28.73

$53.7 CHF 43.91

-34.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 48.16

$59.1 CHF 48.35

-0.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.2 CHF 70.5

$88.8 CHF 72.6

-2.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.93 CHF 34.29

Cinema Ticket

$22.76 CHF 18.61

$23.07 CHF 18.87

-1.34%

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

$2,609 CHF 2,133

$2,621 CHF 2,143

-0.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

$34.6K CHF 28.3K

-1.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 CHF 108

$135 CHF 111

-2.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.6 CHF 49.57

$86.8 CHF 71.0

-30.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 121

$179 CHF 146

-17.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 CHF 167

$233 CHF 191

-12.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,705 CHF 1,394

$2,070 CHF 1,692

-17.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 CHF 1,201

$1,475 CHF 1,206

-0.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 CHF 2,310

$3,823 CHF 3,126

-26.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,506 CHF 2,049

$2,868 CHF 2,345

-12.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.9K CHF 13.8K

$18.1K CHF 14.8K

-6.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.1K CHF 11.5K

$14.6K CHF 11.9K

-3.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,233 CHF 5,914

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

2.55

-18.04%

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

Last update for Cham: July 20, 2026

Last update for Basel: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,705 in Cham and $2,070 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $147 in Cham vs $157 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $646 vs $688 per month, with Cham 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

Cham wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cham the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,293 in Cham and $5,487 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: $1,705 in Cham versus $2,070 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,609 in Cham versus $2,621 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Cham 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 Cham delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,528 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cham 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 Cham 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.