Cost of Living Comparison Between Lachen and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Lachen and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,393 in Lachen versus $3,544 in Basel.

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

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

Living in Lachen costs roughly 4% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.30 CHF 24.73

$29.93 CHF 24.42

1.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 CHF 101

$125 CHF 102

-0.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.36 CHF 13.35

$18.69 CHF 15.25

-12.47%

Cappuccino

$6.57 CHF 5.36

$6.73 CHF 5.49

-2.38%

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

$5.55 CHF 4.53

$6.33 CHF 5.17

-12.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 CHF 4.20

$5.86 CHF 4.78

-12.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.51 CHF 6.94

$9.34 CHF 7.62

-8.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.60 CHF 7.83

$10.07 CHF 8.22

-4.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.78

$2.32 CHF 1.89

-6.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 CHF 2.79

$3.05 CHF 2.49

12.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 CHF 3.63

$3.32 CHF 2.71

34.04%

Eggs

$7.71 CHF 6.29

$8.34 CHF 6.80

-7.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.76 CHF 21.84

$26.21 CHF 21.39

2.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.93 CHF 21.98

$27.85 CHF 22.73

-3.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.68 CHF 34.02

$42.56 CHF 34.73

-2.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 CHF 2.91

$3.66 CHF 2.99

-2.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 CHF 1.77

$2.40 CHF 1.96

-9.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 CHF 2.17

$2.99 CHF 2.44

-11.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 CHF 3.86

$4.83 CHF 3.94

-2.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.63

$1.79 CHF 1.46

11.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CHF 1.80

$1.95 CHF 1.59

12.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

$2.33 CHF 1.90

6.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 CHF 1.17

$1.66 CHF 1.36

-13.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.06 CHF 9.03

$11.63 CHF 9.49

-4.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.73 CHF 11.21

$12.24 CHF 9.99

12.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CHF 1.82

$2.49 CHF 2.03

-10.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 CHF 2.28

$3.18 CHF 2.59

-11.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.71 CHF 3.84

$4.44 CHF 3.63

6.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.5 CHF 73.0

$108 CHF 88.3

-17.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 CHF 6.25

$7.99 CHF 6.52

-4.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.86 CHF 3.97

$4.59 CHF 3.75

5.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 71.3

$88.0 CHF 71.8

-0.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.84

$2.29 CHF 1.87

-1.31%

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

$44.4K CHF 36.3K

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

0.41%

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

$40.6K CHF 33.1K

$39.6K CHF 32.3K

2.40%

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

$243 CHF 198

$299 CHF 244

-18.74%

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

$32.92 CHF 26.86

$53.3 CHF 43.47

-38.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.5 CHF 55.1

$66.0 CHF 53.9

2.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.3 CHF 76.1

$85.8 CHF 70.0

8.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.15 CHF 39.29

$59.0 CHF 48.17

-18.43%

Cinema Ticket

$22.20 CHF 18.11

$23.81 CHF 19.44

-6.76%

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

$2,904 CHF 2,370

$3,026 CHF 2,470

-4.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.6K CHF 36.4K

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

34.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$144 CHF 118

$147 CHF 120

-1.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$90.3 CHF 73.7

$81.6 CHF 66.6

10.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 120

$164 CHF 134

-10.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$176 CHF 144

$199 CHF 162

-11.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,729 CHF 1,411

$2,141 CHF 1,747

-19.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,454 CHF 1,187

$1,528 CHF 1,247

-4.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,087 CHF 2,519

$3,615 CHF 2,950

-14.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,558 CHF 2,088

$2,890 CHF 2,358

-11.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.1K CHF 13.1K

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

-12.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.3K CHF 10.1K

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

-15.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,801 CHF 7,998

$7,336 CHF 5,987

33.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

2.43

-29.22%

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

Last update for Lachen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,729 in Lachen and $2,141 in Basel. 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: $124 in Lachen vs $125 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $591 vs $597 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

Lachen vs Basel: 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.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Lachen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,729 in Lachen versus $2,141 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,904 in Lachen 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 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, Lachen 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 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.