Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Arbon

For one person, living costs are similar in Basel and in Arbon: $3,461 and $3,464 a month, rent and utilities included.

169

Cost of Living Index in Basel
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Basel Living Index
167

Cost of Living Index in Arbon
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Arbon Living Index

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Basel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,461

/mo nomad

Arbon

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,464

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basel and in Arbon

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

A single person spends $3,461 per month in Basel vs $3,464 in Arbon, rent included.

Basel $3,461
Arbon $3,464

A couple spends around $5,427 per month in Basel vs $5,192 in Arbon, rent included.

Basel $5,427
Arbon $5,192

A family of three spends $7,394 per month in Basel vs $6,920 in Arbon, rent included.

Basel $7,394
Arbon $6,920

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

Both Basel and Arbon sit above the global median – Basel by 156%, Arbon by 157%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.60 CHF 24.38

$29.53 CHF 24.33

0.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 CHF 102

$144 CHF 118

-14.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.93 CHF 14.77

$18.95 CHF 15.61

-5.38%

Cappuccino

$6.21 CHF 5.12

$6.11 CHF 5.03

1.64%

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

$6.50 CHF 5.35

$5.74 CHF 4.73

13.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 CHF 4.75

$5.09 CHF 4.19

13.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.20 CHF 7.58

$9.00 CHF 7.42

2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.79 CHF 8.07

$6.17 CHF 5.08

58.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$2.16 CHF 1.78

4.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 CHF 2.57

$3.15 CHF 2.60

-0.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.61

$3.79 CHF 3.12

-16.36%

Eggs

$7.83 CHF 6.45

$7.88 CHF 6.49

-0.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.04 CHF 21.45

$25.14 CHF 20.71

3.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.78 CHF 22.05

$28.42 CHF 23.41

-5.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.31 CHF 33.20

$41.09 CHF 33.84

-1.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CHF 2.90

$3.42 CHF 2.82

2.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.92

$2.00 CHF 1.65

17.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.44

$2.39 CHF 1.97

23.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 CHF 3.72

$5.28 CHF 4.35

-14.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 CHF 1.42

$2.04 CHF 1.68

-15.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 CHF 1.56

$2.19 CHF 1.80

-13.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 CHF 1.84

$2.28 CHF 1.88

-1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 CHF 1.33

$1.22 CHF 1.01

31.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.08 CHF 9.13

$10.64 CHF 8.77

4.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.84 CHF 9.75

$16.47 CHF 13.57

-28.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CHF 2.08

$2.12 CHF 1.75

18.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 CHF 2.44

$2.25 CHF 1.85

32.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.53 CHF 3.73

$4.81 CHF 3.96

-5.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 86.5

$96.0 CHF 79.1

9.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.95 CHF 6.54

$6.50 CHF 5.35

22.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.51 CHF 3.71

$4.73 CHF 3.89

-4.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$84.6 CHF 69.7

$36.17 CHF 29.79

133.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.91

$2.29 CHF 1.89

0.87%

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

$42.3K CHF 34.8K

$34.5K CHF 28.4K

22.69%

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

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

-1.41%

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

$292 CHF 240

$275 CHF 227

5.90%

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

$46.45 CHF 38.25

$38.11 CHF 31.39

21.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.9 CHF 51.0

$54.4 CHF 44.78

13.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.1 CHF 66.8

$90.0 CHF 74.1

-9.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.5 CHF 48.17

$39.06 CHF 32.17

49.72%

Cinema Ticket

$22.48 CHF 18.52

$23.43 CHF 19.29

-4.05%

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

$2,993 CHF 2,465

$2,250 CHF 1,853

33.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.0K CHF 26.3K

$31.3K CHF 25.8K

2.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 117

$143 CHF 118

-0.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.1 CHF 63.5

$65.1 CHF 53.6

18.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 131

$143 CHF 118

11.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 163

$177 CHF 146

11.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,953 CHF 1,609

$1,561 CHF 1,286

25.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 CHF 1,207

$1,521 CHF 1,253

-3.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,586 CHF 2,954

$2,904 CHF 2,392

23.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,796 CHF 2,302

$2,322 CHF 1,912

20.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K CHF 14.9K

$13.9K CHF 11.5K

29.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.3K CHF 11.8K

$13.6K CHF 11.2K

4.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,863 CHF 5,652

$11.1K CHF 9,124

-38.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.42

1.9

27.37%

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

Last update for Basel: October 10, 2026

Last update for Arbon: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Basel

$1.5K 42.4%

Arbon

$1.5K 43.9% 3.8% $56

Groceries & Markets

Basel

$576 16.7%

Arbon

$588 17% 2% $12

Eating Out

Basel

$480 13.9%

Arbon

$467 13.5% 2.6% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basel

$400 11.6%

Arbon

$368 10.6% 8% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Basel

$260 7.5%

Arbon

$238 6.9% 8.3% $22

Getting Around

Basel

$154 4.4%

Arbon

$145 4.2% 5.3% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Basel

$126 3.6%

Arbon

$137 4% 8.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,953 in Basel versus $1,561 in Arbon. 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 61% higher in Arbon. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $123 in Basel versus $144 in Arbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $576 vs $588 – making Basel the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Basel

🇨🇭 Arbon

🕒 Local time

11:28 11:28 AM

Same time as Basel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,491

15,853

💱 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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Between locations

Basel Arbon 140 km

From you

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 Arbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,191 per month in Basel and $5,197 in Arbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 2% more in Arbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Kindergarten costs $2,993 per month in Basel and $2,250 in Arbon. 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 $3,464 in Arbon. 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 $3,461 in Basel to $3,464 in Arbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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