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: $3,186 in Lachen versus $3,706 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,928 in Lachen versus $5,904 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,670 in Lachen versus $8,102 in Basel.

Living in Lachen costs roughly 14% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lachen 137% above, Basel 176% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.19 CHF 24.09

$31.07 CHF 24.80

-2.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 119

$155 CHF 124

-3.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.41 CHF 14.69

$19.81 CHF 15.81

-7.07%

Cappuccino

$6.15 CHF 4.91

$6.98 CHF 5.57

-11.89%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.52

$5.69 CHF 4.54

-0.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 CHF 4.14

$5.00 CHF 3.99

3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.46 CHF 5.95

$9.80 CHF 7.82

-23.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 CHF 5.51

$7.64 CHF 6.10

-9.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.82

$2.22 CHF 1.77

2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 CHF 2.09

$3.85 CHF 3.07

-31.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 CHF 1.93

$5.00 CHF 3.99

-51.60%

Eggs

$8.03 CHF 6.41

$8.00 CHF 6.39

0.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.06 CHF 22.39

$28.50 CHF 22.75

-1.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.85 CHF 11.85

$36.38 CHF 29.04

-59.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.43 CHF 32.27

$44.61 CHF 35.61

-9.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 CHF 2.57

$3.95 CHF 3.16

-18.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 CHF 1.53

$2.70 CHF 2.15

-28.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.91

$4.24 CHF 3.38

-43.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.99

$6.84 CHF 5.46

-27.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 CHF 2.07

$3.15 CHF 2.52

-17.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.81

$2.86 CHF 2.29

-20.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CHF 2.06

$2.63 CHF 2.10

-1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 CHF 0.88

$1.50 CHF 1.20

-26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.02 CHF 8.79

$11.55 CHF 9.22

-4.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.50 CHF 9.18

$13.89 CHF 11.09

-17.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 CHF 1.79

$2.37 CHF 1.89

-5.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.91

$3.06 CHF 2.44

-21.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 CHF 3.13

$4.67 CHF 3.73

-16.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 CHF 78.4

$108 CHF 86.1

-8.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.94 CHF 5.54

$8.06 CHF 6.44

-13.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.20 CHF 3.35

$4.28 CHF 3.41

-1.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$80.0 CHF 63.8

$87.2 CHF 69.6

-8.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.70

$2.22 CHF 1.77

-4.05%

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

$40.7K CHF 32.4K

$39.9K CHF 31.9K

1.77%

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

$42.2K CHF 33.6K

$44.8K CHF 35.7K

-5.83%

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

$125 CHF 99.5

$308 CHF 246

-59.55%

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

$59.6 CHF 47.58

$55.1 CHF 43.98

8.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 CHF 42.87

$59.9 CHF 47.77

-10.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.9 CHF 69.3

$90.5 CHF 72.2

-3.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.81 CHF 33.37

Cinema Ticket

$21.82 CHF 17.42

$23.10 CHF 18.44

-5.54%

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

$2,850 CHF 2,274

$2,555 CHF 2,040

11.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.1K CHF 27.2K

$34.2K CHF 27.3K

-0.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 CHF 97.4

$133 CHF 106

-8.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.0 CHF 52.7

$86.4 CHF 69.0

-23.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$155 CHF 124

$175 CHF 140

-11.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$236 CHF 188

$234 CHF 187

0.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,666 CHF 1,330

$2,106 CHF 1,681

-20.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 CHF 1,163

$1,484 CHF 1,184

-1.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,792 CHF 2,229

$3,757 CHF 2,999

-25.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 CHF 1,949

$2,891 CHF 2,308

-15.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 12.9K

$18.7K CHF 14.9K

-13.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.7K CHF 9,364

$14.0K CHF 11.2K

-16.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$10.1K CHF 8,030

$8,072 CHF 6,443

24.63%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Basel: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,666 in Lachen and $2,106 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 25% 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 $155 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $508 vs $691 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 16% 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 25% 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: $1,666 in Lachen versus $2,106 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,850 in Lachen 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 36% 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 $3,186 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 16% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.