Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Buchs Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Buchs

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,658 in Basel versus $3,379 in Buchs.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,824 in Basel versus $5,057 in Buchs.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,989 in Basel versus $6,734 in Buchs.

Living in Basel is roughly 8% more expensive than in Buchs, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 174% above, Buchs 153% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.22 CHF 24.61

$29.39 CHF 23.93

2.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$157 CHF 128

$131 CHF 106

20.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.82 CHF 16.14

$11.89 CHF 9.68

66.69%

Cappuccino

$7.03 CHF 5.73

$3.57 CHF 2.91

96.92%

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

$5.60 CHF 4.56

$2.52 CHF 2.05

122.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 CHF 4.16

$2.09 CHF 1.70

144.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.92 CHF 8.08

$4.50 CHF 3.66

120.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 CHF 6.21

$5.23 CHF 4.26

45.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.82

$1.75 CHF 1.42

27.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 3.03

$3.03 CHF 2.47

23.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 CHF 4.18

$4.22 CHF 3.43

21.56%

Eggs

$7.88 CHF 6.41

$5.07 CHF 4.12

55.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.25 CHF 23.81

$30.56 CHF 24.88

-4.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.16 CHF 29.44

$14.87 CHF 12.11

143.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.71 CHF 35.59

$50.6 CHF 41.17

-13.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 CHF 3.15

$3.80 CHF 3.10

1.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 CHF 2.20

$2.04 CHF 1.66

32.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CHF 3.42

$2.85 CHF 2.32

47.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.92 CHF 5.64

$6.46 CHF 5.26

7.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 CHF 2.64

$2.39 CHF 1.94

35.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 CHF 2.32

$2.39 CHF 1.94

19.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CHF 2.12

$2.68 CHF 2.18

-2.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.26

$1.28 CHF 1.04

21.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.90 CHF 9.69

$11.24 CHF 9.15

5.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.44 CHF 10.94

$12.88 CHF 10.48

4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 CHF 1.92

$2.39 CHF 1.94

-1.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CHF 2.54

$3.30 CHF 2.69

-5.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.65 CHF 3.78

$2.50 CHF 2.04

86.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 CHF 87.2

$87.1 CHF 70.9

23.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.15 CHF 6.64

$7.93 CHF 6.46

2.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.16 CHF 3.38

$3.55 CHF 2.89

17.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.0 CHF 70.8

$89.5 CHF 72.8

-2.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.80

$2.12 CHF 1.73

4.25%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.4K

$31.3K CHF 25.5K

27.33%

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

$44.5K CHF 36.2K

$42.9K CHF 35.0K

3.60%

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

$302 CHF 246

$183 CHF 149

65.19%

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

$53.7 CHF 43.72

$43.01 CHF 35.02

24.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 CHF 48.14

$55.7 CHF 45.32

6.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.8 CHF 72.3

$146 CHF 119

-39.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.93 CHF 34.14

$17.33 CHF 14.11

141.95%

Cinema Ticket

$23.07 CHF 18.79

$14.75 CHF 12.01

56.41%

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

$2,621 CHF 2,134

$2,961 CHF 2,411

-11.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 28.2K

$32.9K CHF 26.8K

5.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$141 CHF 115

-4.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.8 CHF 70.7

$77.1 CHF 62.7

12.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$179 CHF 146

$133 CHF 109

34.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 CHF 190

$159 CHF 129

47.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 CHF 1,685

$1,850 CHF 1,506

11.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 CHF 1,201

$1,588 CHF 1,293

-7.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,823 CHF 3,113

$2,744 CHF 2,234

39.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,868 CHF 2,335

$2,496 CHF 2,032

14.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K CHF 14.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,233 CHF 5,889

$8,815 CHF 7,177

-17.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

27.50%

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

Last update for Basel: July 20, 2026

Last update for Buchs: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,070 in Basel and $1,850 in Buchs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buchs pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $157 in Basel vs $131 in Buchs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $688 vs $560 per month, with Buchs cheaper across the board.

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 Buchs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buchs wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Buchs the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Buchs. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,070 in Basel versus $1,850 in Buchs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,621 in Basel versus $2,961 in Buchs. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Buchs 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 Buchs delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,379 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Buchs hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Buchs 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 Buchs gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.