Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baden, Switzerland and Basel

For one person, living is cheaper in Basel: $3,669 a month against $3,923 in Baden, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

189

Cost of Living Index in Baden
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Baden Living Index
176

Cost of Living Index in Basel
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Basel Living Index

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Baden

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,923

/mo nomad

Basel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,669

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baden and in Basel

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Baden and in Basel actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,923 per month in Baden vs $3,669 in Basel, rent included.

Baden $3,923
Basel $3,669

A couple spends around $5,704 per month in Baden vs $5,649 in Basel, rent included.

Baden $5,704
Basel $5,649

A family of three spends $7,484 per month in Baden vs $7,629 in Basel, rent included.

Baden $7,484
Basel $7,629

Baden costs about 7% more than Basel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Baden and Basel sit above the global median – Baden by 188%, Basel by 170%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.27 CHF 28.11

$30.27 CHF 24.83

13.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 102

-0.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.89 CHF 14.67

$17.91 CHF 14.69

-0.11%

Cappuccino

$6.16 CHF 5.05

$6.52 CHF 5.35

-5.52%

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

$5.64 CHF 4.63

$6.47 CHF 5.31

-12.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.39 CHF 4.42

$5.91 CHF 4.85

-8.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.28 CHF 7.62

$9.41 CHF 7.72

-1.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.38 CHF 6.88

$9.48 CHF 7.78

-11.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.80

$2.29 CHF 1.88

-4.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 CHF 2.85

$3.04 CHF 2.50

14.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 CHF 2.99

$3.27 CHF 2.69

11.62%

Eggs

$7.99 CHF 6.56

$7.97 CHF 6.54

0.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.71 CHF 21.91

$26.34 CHF 21.61

1.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.46 CHF 23.34

$27.32 CHF 22.41

4.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$47.81 CHF 39.22

$41.15 CHF 33.75

16.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.88 CHF 3.18

$3.70 CHF 3.03

4.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 CHF 2.27

$2.30 CHF 1.89

20.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 CHF 2.52

$3.03 CHF 2.49

1.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 CHF 3.91

$4.54 CHF 3.72

4.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 CHF 2.12

$1.68 CHF 1.38

53.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.89

$1.91 CHF 1.57

20.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 CHF 1.98

$2.27 CHF 1.86

6.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CHF 1.05

$1.60 CHF 1.31

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.85 CHF 8.90

$11.15 CHF 9.15

-2.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.29 CHF 10.09

$11.90 CHF 9.76

3.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CHF 2.07

$2.44 CHF 2.00

3.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 CHF 2.43

$3.03 CHF 2.49

-2.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.69 CHF 3.85

$5.21 CHF 4.28

-9.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CHF 91.6

$105 CHF 85.9

6.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.91 CHF 6.49

$7.98 CHF 6.55

-0.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.67 CHF 3.83

$4.61 CHF 3.79

1.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.9 CHF 72.1

$83.3 CHF 68.3

5.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.89

$2.42 CHF 1.98

-4.55%

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

$39.4K CHF 32.3K

$38.3K CHF 31.4K

2.78%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.6K

$40.0K CHF 32.8K

-0.46%

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

$288 CHF 236

$296 CHF 242

-2.52%

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

$46.20 CHF 37.90

$46.31 CHF 37.99

-0.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 CHF 52.6

$63.2 CHF 51.9

1.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$130 CHF 106

$82.0 CHF 67.3

58.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.71 CHF 39.96

$58.3 CHF 47.80

-16.39%

Cinema Ticket

$23.17 CHF 19.00

$22.84 CHF 18.74

1.44%

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

$3,411 CHF 2,798

$3,139 CHF 2,575

8.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K CHF 26.7K

$32.6K CHF 26.8K

-0.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 CHF 113

$144 CHF 118

-4.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.6 CHF 65.3

$79.9 CHF 65.5

-0.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$162 CHF 133

$159 CHF 131

1.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 163

$195 CHF 160

1.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,251 CHF 1,847

$2,087 CHF 1,712

7.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,796 CHF 1,474

$1,646 CHF 1,351

9.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,409 CHF 2,797

$3,618 CHF 2,968

-5.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 CHF 2,123

$2,966 CHF 2,433

-12.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.9K CHF 12.2K

$17.5K CHF 14.3K

-14.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.0K CHF 9,059

$13.7K CHF 11.3K

-19.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,819 CHF 7,235

$7,080 CHF 5,808

24.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.42

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

Last update for Baden: October 25, 2026

Last update for Basel: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Baden

$1.8K 45.8%

Basel

$1.6K 44.9% 8.3% $150

Groceries & Markets

Baden

$622 15.9%

Basel

$584 15.9% 6.1% $38

Eating Out

Baden

$509 13%

Basel

$490 13.3% 3.8% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baden

$398 10.2%

Basel

$405 11% 1.7% $6.7

Clothing & Footwear

Baden

$260 6.6%

Basel

$261 7.1% 0.2% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Baden

$176 4.5%

Basel

$128 3.5% 27.5% $48

Getting Around

Baden

$162 4.1%

Basel

$157 4.3% 3.1% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,251 in Baden versus $2,087 in Basel. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 25% higher in Baden. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $125 in Baden versus $125 in Basel. Groceries tell a different story – $622 in Baden vs $584 in Basel – so Basel wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Baden

🇨🇭 Basel

🕒 Local time

18:26 6:26 PM

Same time as Baden

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,168

174,491

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baden Basel 55 km

From you

Baden
Basel

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Baden vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Baden is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,884 per month in Baden and $5,504 in Basel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,251 in Baden and $2,087 in Basel. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,923 in Baden and $3,669 in Basel. That makes Basel about 6% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $3,411 per month in Baden and $3,139 in Basel. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,923 in Baden and $3,669 in Basel. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Basel – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Basel. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Baden makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.