Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Aarau

For one person, living is cheaper in Aarau: $2,794 a month against $3,461 in Basel, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Basel
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Basel Living Index
135

Cost of Living Index in Aarau
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Aarau Living Index

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Basel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,461

/mo nomad

Aarau

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basel and in Aarau

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

A single person spends $3,461 per month in Basel vs $2,794 in Aarau, rent included.

Basel $3,461
Aarau $2,794

A couple spends around $5,427 per month in Basel vs $4,568 in Aarau, rent included.

Basel $5,427
Aarau $4,568

A family of three spends $7,394 per month in Basel vs $6,342 in Aarau, rent included.

Basel $7,394
Aarau $6,342

Basel costs about 24% more than Aarau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Basel and Aarau sit above the global median – Basel by 156%, Aarau by 107%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.60 CHF 24.38

$29.07 CHF 23.94

1.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 CHF 102

$106 CHF 87.6

15.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.93 CHF 14.77

$17.63 CHF 14.52

1.70%

Cappuccino

$6.21 CHF 5.12

$5.80 CHF 4.78

7.07%

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

$6.50 CHF 5.35

$5.22 CHF 4.30

24.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 CHF 4.75

$4.70 CHF 3.87

22.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.20 CHF 7.58

$6.15 CHF 5.06

49.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.79 CHF 8.07

$6.60 CHF 5.44

48.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$2.05 CHF 1.69

10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 CHF 2.57

$3.62 CHF 2.98

-13.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.61

$2.59 CHF 2.13

22.39%

Eggs

$7.83 CHF 6.45

$7.22 CHF 5.95

8.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.04 CHF 21.45

$30.30 CHF 24.96

-14.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.78 CHF 22.05

$29.34 CHF 24.16

-8.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.31 CHF 33.20

$40.30 CHF 33.19

0.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CHF 2.90

$2.89 CHF 2.38

21.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.92

$1.78 CHF 1.46

31.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.44

$2.44 CHF 2.01

21.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 CHF 3.72

$5.50 CHF 4.53

-17.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 CHF 1.42

$1.66 CHF 1.37

3.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 CHF 1.56

$1.96 CHF 1.61

-3.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 CHF 1.84

$2.28 CHF 1.87

-1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 CHF 1.33

$1.19 CHF 0.98

35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.08 CHF 9.13

$10.86 CHF 8.94

2.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.84 CHF 9.75

$10.21 CHF 8.41

15.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CHF 2.08

$2.49 CHF 2.05

1.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 CHF 2.44

$2.86 CHF 2.36

3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.53 CHF 3.73

$5.11 CHF 4.20

-11.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 86.5

$146 CHF 120

-28.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.95 CHF 6.54

$6.84 CHF 5.64

16.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.51 CHF 3.71

$3.32 CHF 2.74

35.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$84.6 CHF 69.7

$58.8 CHF 48.45

43.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.91

$2.22 CHF 1.83

4.05%

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

$42.3K CHF 34.8K

$42.9K CHF 35.4K

-1.53%

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

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

-1.40%

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

$292 CHF 240

$120 CHF 98.9

142.82%

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

$46.45 CHF 38.25

$30.84 CHF 25.40

50.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.9 CHF 51.0

$55.7 CHF 45.84

11.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.1 CHF 66.8

$97.9 CHF 80.6

-17.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.5 CHF 48.17

$59.6 CHF 49.04

-1.80%

Cinema Ticket

$22.48 CHF 18.52

$21.42 CHF 17.64

4.95%

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

$2,993 CHF 2,465

$3,152 CHF 2,596

-5.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.0K CHF 26.3K

$32.4K CHF 26.7K

-1.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 117

$88.7 CHF 73.0

60.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.1 CHF 63.5

$70.6 CHF 58.2

9.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 131

$109 CHF 90.1

45.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 163

$169 CHF 140

17.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,953 CHF 1,609

$1,277 CHF 1,052

52.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 CHF 1,207

$1,033 CHF 851

41.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,586 CHF 2,954

$2,290 CHF 1,886

56.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,796 CHF 2,302

$2,114 CHF 1,742

32.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K CHF 14.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.3K CHF 11.8K

$11.8K CHF 9,759

20.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,863 CHF 5,652

$6,801 CHF 5,601

0.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.42

2.31

4.76%

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

Last update for Basel: October 10, 2026

Last update for Aarau: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Basel

$1.5K 42.4%

Aarau

$1K 37% 29.5% $432

Groceries & Markets

Basel

$576 16.7%

Aarau

$588 21% 2% $11

Eating Out

Basel

$480 13.9%

Aarau

$439 15.7% 8.6% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basel

$400 11.6%

Aarau

$207 7.4% 48.3% $193

Clothing & Footwear

Basel

$260 7.5%

Aarau

$197 7.1% 24.1% $63

Getting Around

Basel

$154 4.4%

Aarau

$190 6.8% 23.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Basel

$126 3.6%

Aarau

$141 5% 11.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,953 in Basel versus $1,277 in Aarau. 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 1% higher in Basel, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $123 in Basel versus $106 in Aarau. Groceries tell a different story – $576 in Basel vs $588 in Aarau – so Basel wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Basel

🇨🇭 Aarau

🕒 Local time

02:14 2:14 AM

Same time as Basel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,491

21,191

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Basel Aarau 39 km

From you

Basel
Aarau

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

Basel vs Aarau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Basel costs about 24% more than Aarau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,191 per month in Basel and $4,191 in Aarau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aarau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 39% less in Aarau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,993 per month in Basel and $3,152 in Aarau. 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 $3,461 in Basel and $2,794 in Aarau. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aarau costs $2,794 versus $3,461 in Basel. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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