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: $3,214 in Lachen versus $3,658 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,008 in Lachen versus $5,824 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,801 in Lachen versus $7,989 in Basel.

Living in Lachen costs roughly 12% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lachen 141% above, Basel 174% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.40 CHF 24.86

$30.22 CHF 24.71

0.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$151 CHF 123

$157 CHF 128

-4.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.48 CHF 15.11

$19.82 CHF 16.21

-6.76%

Cappuccino

$6.17 CHF 5.05

$7.03 CHF 5.75

-12.23%

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

$5.92 CHF 4.84

$5.60 CHF 4.58

5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 CHF 4.40

$5.11 CHF 4.18

5.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.39 CHF 6.05

$9.92 CHF 8.11

-25.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 CHF 5.69

$7.63 CHF 6.24

-8.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.82

$2.23 CHF 1.83

-0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 CHF 2.12

$3.73 CHF 3.05

-30.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.96

$5.13 CHF 4.20

-53.22%

Eggs

$7.88 CHF 6.44

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.48 CHF 22.47

$29.25 CHF 23.91

-6.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.87 CHF 12.16

$36.16 CHF 29.57

-58.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.81 CHF 34.19

$43.71 CHF 35.74

-4.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 CHF 2.55

$3.86 CHF 3.16

-19.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 CHF 1.56

$2.71 CHF 2.21

-29.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.06

$4.21 CHF 3.44

-40.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 CHF 4.00

$6.92 CHF 5.66

-29.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.06

$3.24 CHF 2.65

-22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 CHF 1.94

$2.85 CHF 2.33

-16.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CHF 2.10

$2.61 CHF 2.13

-1.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 CHF 0.90

$1.55 CHF 1.27

-29.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.76 CHF 8.80

$11.90 CHF 9.73

-9.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.37 CHF 10.94

$13.44 CHF 10.99

-0.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 CHF 1.85

$2.36 CHF 1.93

-4.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 CHF 1.86

$3.12 CHF 2.55

-27.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 CHF 3.10

$4.65 CHF 3.80

-18.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.5 CHF 81.4

$107 CHF 87.6

-7.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.88 CHF 5.63

$8.15 CHF 6.67

-15.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.22 CHF 3.45

$4.16 CHF 3.40

1.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$78.7 CHF 64.3

$87.0 CHF 71.1

-9.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 CHF 1.73

$2.21 CHF 1.81

-4.52%

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

$41.0K CHF 33.5K

$39.8K CHF 32.5K

3.00%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

$44.5K CHF 36.4K

-7.70%

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

$122 CHF 100

$302 CHF 247

-59.48%

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

$58.5 CHF 47.83

$53.7 CHF 43.91

8.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 CHF 42.73

$59.1 CHF 48.35

-11.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.3 CHF 71.4

$88.8 CHF 72.6

-1.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.93 CHF 34.29

Cinema Ticket

$22.44 CHF 18.35

$23.07 CHF 18.87

-2.73%

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

$2,872 CHF 2,348

$2,621 CHF 2,143

9.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 28.3K

-0.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$121 CHF 99.3

$135 CHF 111

-10.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.4 CHF 52.7

$86.8 CHF 71.0

-25.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$158 CHF 129

$179 CHF 146

-11.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 CHF 191

-0.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,727 CHF 1,412

$2,070 CHF 1,692

-16.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 CHF 1,195

$1,475 CHF 1,206

-0.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 CHF 2,293

$3,823 CHF 3,126

-26.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,466 CHF 2,016

$2,868 CHF 2,345

-14.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.0K CHF 13.1K

$18.1K CHF 14.8K

-11.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.5K CHF 10.2K

$14.6K CHF 11.9K

-14.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,975 CHF 8,157

$7,233 CHF 5,914

37.91%

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Basel: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,727 in Lachen and $2,070 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $151 in Lachen vs $157 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $511 vs $688 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 14% 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 38% 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: $1,727 in Lachen versus $2,070 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,872 in Lachen 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 34% 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 $3,214 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 14% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.