Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Altstätten

For one person, living costs are similar in Basel and in Altstätten: $3,709 and $3,740 a month, rent and utilities included.

177

Cost of Living Index in Basel
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Basel Living Index
171

Cost of Living Index in Altstätten
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Altstätten Living Index

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Basel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,709

/mo nomad

Altstätten

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,740

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basel and in Altstätten

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 Altstätten actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,709 per month in Basel vs $3,740 in Altstätten, rent included.

Basel $3,709
Altstätten $3,740

A couple spends around $5,695 per month in Basel vs $5,258 in Altstätten, rent included.

Basel $5,695
Altstätten $5,258

A family of three spends $7,682 per month in Basel vs $6,776 in Altstätten, rent included.

Basel $7,682
Altstätten $6,776

Basel and Altstätten have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Basel and Altstätten sit above the global median – Basel by 174%, Altstätten by 177%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.43 CHF 24.89

$30.38 CHF 24.85

0.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$129 CHF 105

$121 CHF 99.1

6.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.53 CHF 15.16

$18.27 CHF 14.95

1.42%

Cappuccino

$6.34 CHF 5.19

$6.23 CHF 5.10

1.77%

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

$6.44 CHF 5.27

$5.40 CHF 4.42

19.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.19 CHF 5.06

$4.96 CHF 4.06

24.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.69 CHF 7.93

$9.25 CHF 7.56

4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.64 CHF 7.88

$7.50 CHF 6.13

28.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

$2.19 CHF 1.79

2.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 CHF 2.60

$3.63 CHF 2.97

-12.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 CHF 2.72

$3.69 CHF 3.02

-9.76%

Eggs

$8.20 CHF 6.71

$7.92 CHF 6.48

3.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.64 CHF 21.79

$26.62 CHF 21.77

0.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.19 CHF 22.24

$28.09 CHF 22.98

-3.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.07 CHF 33.59

$40.58 CHF 33.19

1.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 CHF 2.92

$3.50 CHF 2.86

2.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 CHF 1.87

$2.05 CHF 1.68

11.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.41

$2.73 CHF 2.24

8.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 CHF 3.80

$4.81 CHF 3.94

-3.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 CHF 1.14

$1.80 CHF 1.48

-22.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 CHF 1.57

$2.24 CHF 1.83

-14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 CHF 1.88

$2.43 CHF 1.99

-5.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 CHF 1.34

$1.26 CHF 1.03

30.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.52 CHF 9.43

$10.83 CHF 8.86

6.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.01 CHF 9.82

$12.24 CHF 10.01

-1.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 CHF 2.11

$2.82 CHF 2.31

-8.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 CHF 2.57

$3.09 CHF 2.53

1.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.20 CHF 4.25

$4.32 CHF 3.53

20.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 86.7

$99.1 CHF 81.0

6.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 CHF 6.56

$7.50 CHF 6.13

6.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.60 CHF 3.76

$4.18 CHF 3.42

10.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.6 CHF 70.8

$72.6 CHF 59.4

19.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 CHF 1.93

$2.35 CHF 1.92

0.43%

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

$39.5K CHF 32.3K

$42.1K CHF 34.4K

-6.24%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

$38.9K CHF 31.8K

2.56%

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

$293 CHF 239

$256 CHF 209

14.47%

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

$45.83 CHF 37.49

$30.76 CHF 25.16

48.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.1 CHF 53.3

$58.5 CHF 47.85

11.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.8 CHF 67.7

$75.6 CHF 61.9

9.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.7 CHF 47.98

$43.38 CHF 35.48

35.22%

Cinema Ticket

$23.03 CHF 18.84

$20.89 CHF 17.09

10.24%

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

$3,165 CHF 2,589

$2,539 CHF 2,077

24.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.5K CHF 29.8K

$34.3K CHF 28.1K

6.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$148 CHF 121

$134 CHF 110

10.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.0 CHF 66.2

$71.0 CHF 58.0

14.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 CHF 132

$165 CHF 135

-2.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 CHF 166

$193 CHF 158

5.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,144 CHF 1,754

$1,720 CHF 1,407

24.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,672 CHF 1,367

$1,812 CHF 1,482

-7.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 CHF 2,975

$2,810 CHF 2,298

29.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,971 CHF 2,430

$2,294 CHF 1,877

29.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 14.9K

$15.8K CHF 12.9K

14.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.4K CHF 11.0K

$11.8K CHF 9,616

14.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,781 CHF 5,546

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.42

2.03

19.21%

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

Last update for Basel: November 2, 2026

Last update for Altstätten: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Basel

$1.7K 45.1%

Altstätten

$1.8K 48.5% 8.4% $141

Groceries & Markets

Basel

$586 15.8%

Altstätten

$591 15.8% 0.8% $4.8

Eating Out

Basel

$493 13.3%

Altstätten

$475 12.7% 3.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basel

$404 10.9%

Altstätten

$345 9.2% 14.5% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Basel

$267 7.2%

Altstätten

$254 6.8% 4.9% $13

Getting Around

Basel

$158 4.3%

Altstätten

$145 3.9% 8.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Basel

$129 3.5%

Altstätten

$117 3.1% 8.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,144 in Basel versus $1,720 in Altstätten. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $129 in Basel versus $121 in Altstätten. Groceries tell a different story – $586 in Basel vs $591 in Altstätten – so Basel wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Basel

🇨🇭 Altstätten

🕒 Local time

22:50 10:50 PM

Same time as Basel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,491

11,145

💱 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

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Basel Altstätten 150 km

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Basel
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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 Altstätten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,563 per month in Basel and $5,610 in Altstätten. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Altstätten, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,720 there versus $2,144 in Basel.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $129 in Basel and $121 in Altstätten. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $3,165 per month in Basel and $2,539 in Altstätten. 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 $3,709 in Basel and $3,740 in Altstätten. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Basel has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,709 in Basel to $3,740 in Altstätten. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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