Cost of Living Comparison Between Lancy and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Lancy and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,559 in Lancy versus $3,653 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,392 in Lancy versus $5,857 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,226 in Lancy versus $8,062 in Basel.

Living in Lancy costs roughly 3% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lancy 166% above, Basel 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.36 CHF 24.98

$30.72 CHF 24.47

2.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$145 CHF 116

$156 CHF 124

-6.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.62 CHF 14.83

$19.37 CHF 15.43

-3.87%

Cappuccino

$5.95 CHF 4.74

$6.75 CHF 5.37

-11.85%

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

$5.23 CHF 4.17

$5.67 CHF 4.52

-7.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 CHF 3.88

$5.02 CHF 4.00

-2.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.97 CHF 7.94

$10.09 CHF 8.04

-1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 CHF 5.91

$7.45 CHF 5.93

-0.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.72

$2.24 CHF 1.79

-3.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 CHF 3.05

$3.73 CHF 2.97

2.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.53 CHF 3.60

$4.99 CHF 3.98

-9.22%

Eggs

$7.65 CHF 6.09

$8.16 CHF 6.50

-6.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.88 CHF 21.41

$28.67 CHF 22.83

-6.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.55 CHF 25.93

$35.93 CHF 28.62

-9.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.21 CHF 34.41

$43.12 CHF 34.35

0.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 CHF 2.73

$3.98 CHF 3.17

-13.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 CHF 1.93

$2.60 CHF 2.07

-6.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 CHF 2.41

$4.24 CHF 3.38

-28.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.47 CHF 5.15

$6.96 CHF 5.54

-7.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CHF 2.15

$3.23 CHF 2.57

-16.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.91

$2.94 CHF 2.34

-18.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 1.99

$2.51 CHF 2.00

-0.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CHF 1.11

$1.55 CHF 1.23

-10.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.05 CHF 8.80

$11.68 CHF 9.30

-5.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.82 CHF 10.21

$13.81 CHF 11.00

-7.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CHF 1.95

$2.39 CHF 1.90

2.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CHF 2.43

$3.16 CHF 2.52

-3.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 CHF 3.04

$4.58 CHF 3.65

-16.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.3 CHF 79.1

$105 CHF 83.3

-5.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 CHF 6.14

$7.99 CHF 6.36

-3.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.58 CHF 2.85

$4.31 CHF 3.43

-16.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.8 CHF 50.8

$87.2 CHF 69.5

-26.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.72

$2.23 CHF 1.77

-3.14%

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

$40.7K CHF 32.4K

$40.4K CHF 32.2K

0.80%

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

$45.4K CHF 36.2K

$44.3K CHF 35.3K

2.50%

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

$258 CHF 206

$306 CHF 244

-15.66%

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

$48.35 CHF 38.51

$53.5 CHF 42.63

-9.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 CHF 46.97

$58.9 CHF 46.87

0.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.0 CHF 69.3

$90.3 CHF 71.9

-3.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.85

Cinema Ticket

$22.60 CHF 18.00

$22.72 CHF 18.10

-0.53%

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

$2,566 CHF 2,044

$2,574 CHF 2,050

-0.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.7K CHF 26.0K

$34.0K CHF 27.1K

-3.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 106

$134 CHF 106

-0.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.6 CHF 64.2

$88.3 CHF 70.3

-8.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 CHF 132

$181 CHF 144

-8.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$207 CHF 165

$227 CHF 181

-8.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 CHF 1,376

$2,112 CHF 1,682

-18.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,477 CHF 1,176

$1,519 CHF 1,210

-2.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,823 CHF 2,248

$3,828 CHF 3,049

-26.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,491 CHF 1,984

$2,802 CHF 2,232

-11.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.5K CHF 11.6K

$19.1K CHF 15.2K

-23.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.3K CHF 8,225

$14.2K CHF 11.3K

-27.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,605

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.46

2.55

-3.53%

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

Last update for Lancy: June 1, 2026

Last update for Basel: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,728 in Lancy and $2,112 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $145 in Lancy vs $156 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $641 vs $685 per month, with Lancy 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

Lancy vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lancy wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lancy the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,338 in Lancy and $5,479 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: $1,728 in Lancy versus $2,112 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,566 in Lancy versus $2,574 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% 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. Lancy 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 Lancy delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,559 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lancy hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lancy 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 Lancy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.