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: $3,260 in Lachen versus $3,682 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,998 in Lachen versus $5,815 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,737 in Lachen versus $7,949 in Basel.

Living in Lachen costs roughly 11% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lachen 143% above, Basel 175% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.65 CHF 24.03

$31.08 CHF 24.37

-1.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 117

$154 CHF 121

-3.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.42 CHF 14.44

$20.09 CHF 15.75

-8.31%

Cappuccino

$6.43 CHF 5.04

$6.99 CHF 5.48

-8.01%

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

$5.85 CHF 4.58

$5.70 CHF 4.47

2.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 CHF 4.05

$5.04 CHF 3.95

2.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.59 CHF 5.95

$9.72 CHF 7.62

-21.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 CHF 5.62

$7.54 CHF 5.91

-4.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.73

$2.17 CHF 1.70

1.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 CHF 2.01

$3.70 CHF 2.90

-30.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 CHF 1.96

$4.95 CHF 3.88

-49.49%

Eggs

$8.17 CHF 6.41

$7.99 CHF 6.26

2.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.43 CHF 21.50

$28.33 CHF 22.21

-3.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.67 CHF 11.50

$36.87 CHF 28.91

-60.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.08 CHF 32.20

$44.59 CHF 34.96

-7.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.49

$3.83 CHF 3.00

-17.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 CHF 1.48

$2.76 CHF 2.16

-31.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 1.95

$4.01 CHF 3.14

-37.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 CHF 3.98

$7.13 CHF 5.59

-28.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 1.95

$3.25 CHF 2.55

-23.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 CHF 1.77

$2.83 CHF 2.22

-20.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CHF 1.95

$2.65 CHF 2.08

-6.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 CHF 0.89

$1.55 CHF 1.22

-26.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.74 CHF 8.42

$11.59 CHF 9.08

-7.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.78 CHF 9.23

$15.29 CHF 11.99

-22.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 CHF 1.72

$2.46 CHF 1.93

-10.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 CHF 1.81

$3.00 CHF 2.36

-23.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.88 CHF 3.04

$4.81 CHF 3.77

-19.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.2 CHF 77.8

$105 CHF 82.2

-5.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.86 CHF 5.38

$7.91 CHF 6.20

-13.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.15 CHF 3.25

$4.33 CHF 3.40

-4.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 CHF 62.1

$86.4 CHF 67.7

-8.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.72

$2.15 CHF 1.69

2.33%

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

$39.8K CHF 31.2K

$41.0K CHF 32.1K

-2.83%

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

$40.9K CHF 32.0K

$45.7K CHF 35.8K

-10.60%

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

$122 CHF 95.4

$299 CHF 234

-59.29%

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

$60.3 CHF 47.26

$54.1 CHF 42.40

11.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 CHF 42.50

$59.6 CHF 46.69

-8.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.6 CHF 70.3

$90.5 CHF 70.9

-0.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.79 CHF 32.77

Cinema Ticket

$22.05 CHF 17.29

$22.41 CHF 17.57

-1.61%

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

$2,857 CHF 2,240

$2,607 CHF 2,044

9.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K CHF 27.3K

$35.0K CHF 27.4K

-0.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$124 CHF 97.4

$135 CHF 106

-8.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.8 CHF 50.8

$88.4 CHF 69.3

-26.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$154 CHF 121

$177 CHF 139

-12.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$236 CHF 185

$228 CHF 178

3.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 CHF 1,342

$2,067 CHF 1,621

-17.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 CHF 1,141

$1,477 CHF 1,158

-1.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,836 CHF 2,224

$3,728 CHF 2,923

-23.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,419 CHF 1,897

$2,817 CHF 2,209

-14.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K CHF 10.9K

$18.1K CHF 14.2K

-23.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.6K CHF 8,344

$13.4K CHF 10.5K

-20.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$10.2K CHF 8,035

$7,835 CHF 6,143

30.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

2.55

-1.96%

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

Last update for Lachen: April 21, 2026

Last update for Basel: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,712 in Lachen and $2,067 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $149 in Lachen vs $154 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $507 vs $694 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 13% 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.

Lachen pays 31% more on average, 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: $1,712 in Lachen versus $2,067 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,857 in Lachen 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 37% 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 $3,260 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 13% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.