Cost of Living in Basel
Summary of cost of living in Basel, Switzerland:
- A family of four estimated monthly costs are 6,919.9$ (6,065.3Fr.) without rent (using our estimator).
- A single person estimated monthly costs are 1,871.4$ (1,640.2Fr.) without rent.
- Basel is 22.7% more expensive than New York (without rent, see our cost of living index).
- Rent in Basel is, on average, 53.9% lower than in New York.
Restaurants |  Edit |
Range |
|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 25.00 Fr. | |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 120.00 Fr. | |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 16.00 Fr. | |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 8.00 Fr. | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 6.00 Fr. | |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.11 Fr. | |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 4.29 Fr. | |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 3.88 Fr. | |
Markets | Edit |
|
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 6.53 Fr. | |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 2.96 Fr. | |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 1.23 Fr. | |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 6.65 Fr. | |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 15.03 Fr. | |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 13.74 Fr. | |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 24.95 Fr. | |
| Apples (1 lb) | 1.79 Fr. | |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.29 Fr. | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 1.77 Fr. | |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 1.96 Fr. | |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.30 Fr. | |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.07 Fr. | |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.17 Fr. | |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 1.25 Fr. | |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 14.00 Fr. | |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 1.93 Fr. | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 2.63 Fr. | |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 9.00 Fr. | |
Transportation | Edit |
|
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 3.70 Fr. | |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 80.00 Fr. | |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 6.00 Fr. | |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 5.75 Fr. | |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 70.20 Fr. | |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 7.18 Fr. | |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 30,000.00 Fr. | |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 33,333.33 Fr. | |
Utilities (Monthly) | Edit |
|
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 215.20 Fr. | |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 54.88 Fr. | |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 47.11 Fr. | |
Sports And Leisure | Edit |
|
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 74.68 Fr. | |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 30.00 Fr. | |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 19.00 Fr. | |
Childcare | Edit |
|
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,380.00 Fr. | |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 27,000.00 Fr. | |
Clothing And Shoes | Edit |
|
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 105.62 Fr. | |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 51.29 Fr. | |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 148.75 Fr. | |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 168.75 Fr. | |
Rent Per Month | Edit |
|
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 1,470.00 Fr. | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,105.38 Fr. | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 2,883.33 Fr. | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,266.67 Fr. | |
Buy Apartment Price | Edit |
|
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,003.34 Fr. | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 857.07 Fr. | |
Salaries And Financing | Edit |
|
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 6,135.65 Fr. | |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 2.29 |
Prices in Basel
This city had 715 entries in the past 12 months by 85 different contributors.
Last update: November 2023
Last update: November 2023
Sources and References
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Distribution of Expenses Using Our Statistical Model:
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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
|
 EspañolCosto de Vida en Basilea
|
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).
How to get a job as a unskilled workers without the need for language in basel and Switzerland?