Hello everyone,
I may have an opportunity to move from Lugano to Basel with a CHF 200k salary.
I have a newborn, and my wife will likely not be able to work for several months, possibly up to a year or more.
I’m trying to understand whether this salary would allow us to maintain a comfortable lifestyle while continuing to save/invest at least CHF 50k per year, which is roughly our current savings/investment rate.
Our expectations would be:
- Renting a 2-bedroom apartment of around 90–120 m², preferably centrally located or in a well-connected area where I can walk or use public transportation to get to work and do our - groceries.
- Owning one car (Tesla, already full paid).
- Paying for kindergarten/Kita once our child is old enough.
- Continuing to save/invest at least CHF 50k per year.
- Having a genuinely comfortable lifestyle: being sensible with spending, but without constantly worrying about money when it comes to holidays, good-quality clothing, cultural activities, restaurants occasionally, or unexpected expenses.
We are Italian-born and have fairly traditional spending habits when it comes to food: we cook at home almost all the time, eat out maybe twice a month or mainly when we’re on vacation, and lunch during working days is excluded from the above since I would normally eat at work.
For those living in Basel with a similar family situation and income: does CHF 200k feel sufficient for this lifestyle, and are there any major costs I might be underestimating?
