Cost of Living in Basel
Summary of cost of living in Basel, Switzerland:
- The estimated monthly costs for a family of four are 6,526.4$ (5,275.2Fr.), excluding rent (using our estimator).
- The estimated monthly costs for a single person are 1,774.1$ (1,434.0Fr.), excluding rent.
- Basel is 65.2% more expensive than Columbus (excluding rent, see our cost of living index).
- Rent in Basel is, on average, 25.4% higher than in Columbus.
Restaurants |  Edit |
Range |
|---|---|---|
| Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant | 25.00 Fr. | |
| Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks) | 120.00 Fr. | |
| Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal) | 15.00 Fr. | |
| Domestic Draft Beer (1 Pint) | 8.00 Fr. | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) | 6.00 Fr. | |
| Cappuccino (Regular Size) | 5.39 Fr. | |
| Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle) | 4.75 Fr. | |
| Bottled Water (12 oz) | 4.27 Fr. | |
Markets | Edit |
|
| Milk (Regular, 1 Liter) | 1.82 Fr. | |
| Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf) | 2.73 Fr. | |
| White Rice (1 lb) | 1.58 Fr. | |
| Eggs (12, Large Size) | 6.17 Fr. | |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 9.64 Fr. | |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 11.45 Fr. | |
| Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb) | 15.10 Fr. | |
| Apples (1 lb) | 1.35 Fr. | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | 0.80 Fr. | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 1.22 Fr. | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | 2.36 Fr. | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | 0.77 Fr. | |
| Onions (1 lb) | 0.85 Fr. | |
| Lettuce (1 Head) | 1.95 Fr. | |
| Bottled Water (50 oz) | 1.16 Fr. | |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 11.98 Fr. | |
| Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle) | 2.03 Fr. | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) | 2.68 Fr. | |
| Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro) | 9.36 Fr. | |
Transportation | Edit |
|
| One-Way Ticket (Local Transport) | 4.00 Fr. | |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price) | 86.00 Fr. | |
| Taxi Start (Standard Tariff) | 6.50 Fr. | |
| Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff) | 6.12 Fr. | |
| Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff) | 70.20 Fr. | |
| Gasoline (1 Liter) | 1.76 Fr. | |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car) | 32,800.00 Fr. | |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car) | 32,500.00 Fr. | |
Utilities (Monthly) | Edit |
|
| Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) | 232.51 Fr. | |
| Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data) | 34.90 Fr. | |
| Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher) | 49.08 Fr. | |
Sports And Leisure | Edit |
|
| Monthly Fitness Club Membership | 72.61 Fr. | |
| Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend) | 35.00 Fr. | |
| Cinema Ticket (International Release) | 19.50 Fr. | |
Childcare | Edit |
|
| Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child | 1,991.67 Fr. | |
| International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child | 26,666.67 Fr. | |
Clothing And Shoes | Edit |
|
| Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar) | 116.52 Fr. | |
| Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M) | 66.10 Fr. | |
| Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 136.16 Fr. | |
| Men's Leather Business Shoes | 166.24 Fr. | |
Rent Per Month | Edit |
|
| 1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre | 1,581.67 Fr. | |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre | 1,167.86 Fr. | |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre | 2,780.00 Fr. | |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre | 2,215.29 Fr. | |
Buy Apartment Price | Edit |
|
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,593.94 Fr. | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 1,313.90 Fr. | |
Salaries And Financing | Edit |
|
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 6,511.82 Fr. | |
| Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %) | 2.86 |
Prices in Basel
This city had 1012 entries in the past 12 months by 114 different contributors.
Last update: 23 November 2025
Last update: 23 November 2025
Sources and References
Moving to Basel? Explore:
Distribution of Expenses Using Our Statistical Model:
Nearby Cities:| Cost of Living in Riehen | 2.97 miles |
| Cost of Living in Liestal | 10.81 miles |
| Cost of Living in Rheinfelden | 11.88 miles |
| Cost of Living in Delemont | 26.44 miles |
| Cost of Living in Olten | 30.82 miles |
| Cost of Living in Zofingen | 33.52 miles |
| Cost of Living in Porrentruy | 34.04 miles |
| Cost of Living in Aarau | 34.13 miles |
| Cost of Living in Langenthal | 38.16 miles |
| Cost of Living in Baden | 39.47 miles |
This Page in Other Languages:
 DeutschLebenshaltungskosten in Basel
|
 PortuguêsCusto de Vida em Basileia
|
 ItalianoCosto della vita a Basilea
|
 FrançaisCoût de la vie à Bâle
|
 EspañolCoste de vida en Basilea
|
Salary Calculator:Got a job offer in Basel? Estimate your take-home pay with our Salary Calculator for Basel.
How about having to drive around a huge lake to get to the other side of town, wasting time, gas, money ?
Also, it's just not a very fun place to live, we lived in Cyprus, Amsterdam, Madrid and can't wait to go back to any of those !
Don't forget you pay another 8.5 % Federal Tax on top of these!
City - Individual Tax % - Corporate Tax %
Zug 10.4 11.8
Schwyz 12.0 13.4
Basel 23.7 13.0
Bern 23.8 20.5
Lausanne 24.0 13.8
Geneva 25.0 14.7
Basel, Bern and Geneva have the highest tax rates.
In Zug and Schwyz you pay the least amount of tax.
what is that Vogulien guy talking about? I live in Basel my entire life and I am rich AF. As a software engineer I make 150k+50% Bonus a yr and I dont know where to spend my bucks. House is paid off, Tesla for casual shopping, lambo for the sunny WEs. Apple Watch Ultras on both wrists. Amena koi
Basel is very expensive, thats why I left and now building a treehouse in the woods. Saves a bunch. Berries for free as well.
Greetings,
Julien THoma le baguette xD
City Individual Tax (%) Corporate Tax (%)
Zug 10.4 11.8
Schwyz 12.0 13.4
Basel 23.7 13.0
Bern 23.8 20.5
Lausanne 24.0 13.8
Geneva 25.0 14.7
Basel, Bern and Geneva have the highest tax rates.
In Zug and Schwyz you pay the least amount of tax.
Check here :
https://gfmag.com/data/richest-countries-in-the-world/
In most EU countries you pay only $150/month $1800/year, and get full coverage.
No, it's not true.
Basel is actually much more expensive than Numbeo suggests.
You also pay more income tax in Basel and Zurich than in Luxembourg.
In the 1st place among the world are Basel Switzerland, this means that there you can save the most money from one average net salary after all monthly expenses, do you think this is true?
Apartment: 1620 (55m2) in the convenient location
Utilities: 100 - 150 (depending on the month)
Internet: 55
Cell phone: 25
Health insurance (the cheapest): 342 (this year increased to 390)
Groceries: on average 400
Each year you need to pay the tax for TV/radio, which is around 300 CHF
Dentists, doctors, and pharmacies are extremely expensive.
You can survive on a salary of 6100 - 6500 (gross) but will not live comfortably.
We live in Basel for a year, just out of the city. We are a family of 4, a toddler and a baby.
Small apartment 1200+300 utilities
Health insurance 1150
No car
No eating out at restaurants
2 phone plans without internet 18
Careful shopping food 500
Minimum clothes shopping 30-50
Bus/Tram pass 160
Other unexpected costs or gifts 300
In total: 3,678CHF.
This was possible because it was necessary and definitely not comfortable for a longer period of time. So my conclusion is that a family of 4 can live in Basel for 5000-6000CHF and do well.
I am planning to move from Germany to Basel-Stadt (1 Person, 35 Jahre Alt, no Auto), and i am trying to figure out the costs before i move there and see if it makes sens moving or not. Please have a look at the list above and feel free to add something i am missing, or if my data are wrong. Many thanks in advance.
Wohnung (1 Person, 40m2-50m2, not in center but not far from center) - 1300 CHF
Handy - 50 CHF
Fitness Studio - 100 CHF
SFR tax - 35 CHF
Internet - 60 CHF
Food - 600 CHF
Health Insurance - 300 CHF
Other unknown costs - 200 CHF
That would make a total of 2,755.00 CHF per month.
Thanks in advance
Insurance costs are quite high in switzerland too. Vary between 250 - 550 chf a month.
Average minimum wage is 19 - 25 CHF (I get that as a student working as a waiter).