Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,704 a month against $3,548 in Basel, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

170

Cost of Living Index in Basel
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Basel Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Basel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,548

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basel and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,548 in Basel versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Basel $3,548
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,573 in Basel versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Basel $5,573
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,599 in Basel versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Basel $7,599
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Basel is roughly 31% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 165% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.00 CHF 24.95

$20.22 $20.22

48.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 104

$85.0 $85.0

47.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.03 CHF 15.00

$12.35 $12.35

45.99%

Cappuccino

$6.54 CHF 5.44

$5.47 $5.47

19.56%

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

$6.48 CHF 5.39

$3.82 $3.82

69.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 CHF 4.80

$2.50 $2.50

130.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.22 CHF 7.66

$8.06 $8.06

14.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.42 CHF 7.84

$8.99 $8.99

4.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.83

$1.13 $1.13

94.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 CHF 2.57

$3.78 $3.78

-18.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 CHF 2.77

$3.25 $3.25

2.77%

Eggs

$7.70 CHF 6.40

$4.14 $4.14

85.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.14 CHF 21.73

$13.08 $13.08

99.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.34 CHF 22.73

$14.31 $14.31

91.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.29 CHF 34.33

$15.96 $15.96

158.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 CHF 3.02

$4.38 $4.38

-17.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.89

$1.45 $1.45

56.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 CHF 2.52

$4.54 $4.54

-33.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 CHF 3.91

$4.19 $4.19

12.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 CHF 1.46

$2.63 $2.63

-33.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 CHF 1.65

$2.36 $2.36

-16.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 CHF 1.81

$1.76 $1.76

23.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 CHF 1.34

$2.16 $2.16

-25.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.41 CHF 9.49

$9.81 $9.81

16.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 CHF 10.10

$14.72 $14.72

-17.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CHF 2.04

$2.78 $2.78

-11.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 CHF 2.48

$3.48 $3.48

-14.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.82 CHF 4.01

$1.49 $1.49

223.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 CHF 85.4

$40.51 $40.51

153.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 CHF 6.39

$2.67 $2.67

187.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.70 CHF 3.91

$1.58 $1.58

197.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$82.9 CHF 68.9

$35.29 $35.29

134.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.92

$0.99 $0.99

133.33%

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

$42.0K CHF 34.9K

$35.8K $35.8K

17.29%

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

$39.3K CHF 32.7K

$27.2K $27.2K

44.63%

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

$286 CHF 238

$219 $219

30.45%

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

$46.01 CHF 38.26

$58.0 $58.0

-20.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.0 CHF 52.4

$68.4 $68.4

-7.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.2 CHF 69.2

$57.9 $57.9

43.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.2 CHF 47.54

$14.82 $14.82

285.76%

Cinema Ticket

$22.81 CHF 18.97

$14.13 $14.13

61.43%

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

$2,915 CHF 2,424

$1,509 $1,509

93.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.5K CHF 27.0K

$21.5K $21.5K

51.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 122

$51.7 $51.7

185.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.8 CHF 66.4

$44.05 $44.05

81.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 CHF 137

$85.1 $85.1

93.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$197 CHF 164

$105 $105

87.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 CHF 1,616

$1,932 $1,932

0.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 CHF 1,250

$1,272 $1,272

18.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,544 CHF 2,947

$3,670 $3,670

-3.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,822 CHF 2,346

$2,525 $2,525

11.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K CHF 15.2K

$7,617 $7,617

140.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.4K CHF 12.0K

$3,199 $3,199

349.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,904 CHF 5,741

$5,105 $5,105

35.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.42

6.79

-64.36%

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

Last update for Basel: October 3, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Basel

$1.5K 42.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 15.4% $231

Groceries & Markets

Basel

$583 16.6%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 30.9% $180

Eating Out

Basel

$487 13.8%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 28.5% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basel

$395 11.2%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 12.5% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Basel

$265 7.5%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 51.4% $136

Getting Around

Basel

$153 4.4%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 62.8% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Basel

$129 3.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 33.1% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,943 in Basel and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 35% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $125 in Basel vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $583 vs $403 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Basel

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:09 9:09 AM

02:09 2:09 AM

7 h behind Basel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,491

974,447

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.2 USD

1 CHF = 1.07 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.832 CHF (1 CHF = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 0.933 CHF (1 CHF = 1.07 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

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Between locations

Basel Austin, TX 8,610 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Basel
Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 35% higher in Basel, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,943 in Basel versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,548 per month in Basel versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 154% less than in Basel. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,704 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Austin, TX are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.