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: $3,510 in Cham versus $3,682 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,437 in Cham versus $5,815 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,364 in Cham versus $7,949 in Basel.

Living in Cham costs roughly 5% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cham 162% above, Basel 175% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.40 CHF 23.83

$31.08 CHF 24.37

-2.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$151 CHF 118

$154 CHF 121

-2.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.86 CHF 15.57

$20.09 CHF 15.75

-1.14%

Cappuccino

$6.84 CHF 5.36

$6.99 CHF 5.48

-2.15%

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

$5.57 CHF 4.37

$5.70 CHF 4.47

-2.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 CHF 4.09

$5.04 CHF 3.95

3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.91

$9.72 CHF 7.62

3.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.84

$7.54 CHF 5.91

-1.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.74

$2.17 CHF 1.70

2.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 CHF 2.56

$3.70 CHF 2.90

-11.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 CHF 3.20

$4.95 CHF 3.88

-17.58%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.66

$7.99 CHF 6.26

-9.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.15 CHF 22.07

$28.33 CHF 22.21

-0.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.89 CHF 26.57

$36.87 CHF 28.91

-8.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.75 CHF 35.08

$44.59 CHF 34.96

0.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 CHF 2.99

$3.83 CHF 3.00

-0.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 CHF 2.08

$2.76 CHF 2.16

-3.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 CHF 2.36

$4.01 CHF 3.14

-24.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 CHF 4.10

$7.13 CHF 5.59

-26.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CHF 2.14

$3.25 CHF 2.55

-16.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.78

$2.83 CHF 2.22

-19.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 1.95

$2.65 CHF 2.08

-6.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CHF 1.22

$1.55 CHF 1.22

0.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 CHF 8.58

$11.59 CHF 9.08

-5.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.44 CHF 12.10

$15.29 CHF 11.99

0.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 CHF 1.93

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 CHF 2.37

$3.00 CHF 2.36

0.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.82 CHF 2.99

$4.81 CHF 3.77

-20.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.6 CHF 77.3

$105 CHF 82.2

-5.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.57 CHF 5.94

$7.91 CHF 6.20

-4.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.11 CHF 3.22

$4.33 CHF 3.40

-5.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.3

$86.4 CHF 67.7

0.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 CHF 1.84

$2.15 CHF 1.69

8.84%

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

$39.6K CHF 31.1K

$41.0K CHF 32.1K

-3.22%

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

$38.7K CHF 30.4K

$45.7K CHF 35.8K

-15.29%

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

$258 CHF 202

$299 CHF 234

-13.84%

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

$36.19 CHF 28.37

$54.1 CHF 42.40

-33.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 CHF 46.55

$59.6 CHF 46.69

-0.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.5 CHF 69.4

$90.5 CHF 70.9

-2.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.79 CHF 32.77

Cinema Ticket

$22.34 CHF 17.52

$22.41 CHF 17.57

-0.31%

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

$2,563 CHF 2,009

$2,607 CHF 2,044

-1.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 27.2K

$35.0K CHF 27.4K

-1.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 CHF 104

$135 CHF 106

-2.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 CHF 48.12

$88.4 CHF 69.3

-30.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 116

$177 CHF 139

-16.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 156

$228 CHF 178

-12.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 CHF 1,310

$2,067 CHF 1,621

-19.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 CHF 1,144

$1,477 CHF 1,158

-1.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,857 CHF 2,240

$3,728 CHF 2,923

-23.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 CHF 1,962

$2,817 CHF 2,209

-11.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.1K CHF 9,524

$18.1K CHF 14.2K

-32.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.0K CHF 9,428

$13.4K CHF 10.5K

-9.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,835 CHF 6,143

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: April 22, 2026

Last update for Basel: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,671 in Cham and $2,067 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $151 in Cham vs $154 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $652 vs $694 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 5% 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 $5,266 in Cham and $5,523 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: $1,671 in Cham versus $2,067 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,563 in Cham versus $2,607 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 $3,510 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 5% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.