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: $3,443 in Cham versus $3,706 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,403 in Cham versus $5,904 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,363 in Cham versus $8,102 in Basel.

Living in Cham costs roughly 7% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cham 156% above, Basel 176% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.00 CHF 24.78

$31.07 CHF 24.84

-0.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 119

$155 CHF 124

-3.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.08 CHF 16.05

$19.81 CHF 15.83

1.36%

Cappuccino

$6.92 CHF 5.53

$6.98 CHF 5.58

-0.86%

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

$5.69 CHF 4.55

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 CHF 4.07

$5.00 CHF 4.00

1.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.67

$9.80 CHF 7.83

-2.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 CHF 5.84

$7.64 CHF 6.11

-4.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.80

$2.22 CHF 1.78

1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 CHF 2.69

$3.85 CHF 3.07

-12.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 CHF 3.29

$5.00 CHF 4.00

-17.80%

Eggs

$7.30 CHF 5.84

$8.00 CHF 6.40

-8.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.12 CHF 22.48

$28.50 CHF 22.78

-1.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.90 CHF 26.30

$36.38 CHF 29.08

-9.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.82 CHF 35.83

$44.61 CHF 35.66

0.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CHF 3.12

$3.95 CHF 3.16

-1.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 CHF 2.20

$2.70 CHF 2.16

2.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 CHF 2.48

$4.24 CHF 3.39

-26.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 CHF 4.06

$6.84 CHF 5.47

-25.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 CHF 2.23

$3.15 CHF 2.52

-11.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 CHF 1.80

$2.86 CHF 2.29

-20.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 2.00

$2.63 CHF 2.11

-4.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CHF 1.20

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.88 CHF 8.69

$11.55 CHF 9.23

-5.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.60 CHF 10.87

$13.89 CHF 11.10

-2.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 CHF 1.86

$2.37 CHF 1.90

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 CHF 2.41

$3.06 CHF 2.44

-1.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 CHF 3.15

$4.67 CHF 3.73

-15.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.1 CHF 79.2

$108 CHF 86.3

-8.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 CHF 6.14

$8.06 CHF 6.44

-4.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.35 CHF 3.47

$4.28 CHF 3.42

1.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.0 CHF 67.9

$87.2 CHF 69.7

-2.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.84

$2.22 CHF 1.77

3.60%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.4K

$39.9K CHF 31.9K

1.61%

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

$38.7K CHF 31.0K

$44.8K CHF 35.8K

-13.47%

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

$254 CHF 203

$308 CHF 246

-17.53%

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

$36.17 CHF 28.91

$55.1 CHF 44.04

-34.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 CHF 47.00

$59.9 CHF 47.84

-1.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.3 CHF 71.3

$90.5 CHF 72.3

-1.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.81 CHF 33.42

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 18.16

$23.10 CHF 18.47

-1.65%

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

$2,568 CHF 2,053

$2,555 CHF 2,042

0.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.2K CHF 27.3K

0.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 CHF 106

$133 CHF 106

-0.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.5 CHF 49.95

$86.4 CHF 69.1

-27.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 119

$175 CHF 140

-15.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 CHF 160

$234 CHF 187

-14.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 CHF 1,338

$2,106 CHF 1,684

-20.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 CHF 1,160

$1,484 CHF 1,186

-2.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,848 CHF 2,277

$3,757 CHF 3,003

-24.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,461 CHF 1,967

$2,891 CHF 2,311

-14.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.9K CHF 11.9K

$18.7K CHF 14.9K

-20.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K CHF 9,482

$14.0K CHF 11.2K

-15.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,072 CHF 6,452

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Basel: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,674 in Cham and $2,106 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $149 in Cham vs $155 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $645 vs $691 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 8% 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 $5,164 in Cham and $5,558 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: $1,674 in Cham versus $2,106 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,568 in Cham versus $2,555 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% 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 $3,443 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 8% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.