Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Dubendorf Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Dubendorf

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,606 in Basel versus $3,866 in Dubendorf.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,819 in Basel versus $5,884 in Dubendorf.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,033 in Basel versus $7,901 in Dubendorf.

Living in Basel costs roughly 7% less than in Dubendorf, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 170% above, Dubendorf 189% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.16 CHF 25.24

$31.26 CHF 25.32

-0.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 125

$145 CHF 117

6.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.41 CHF 15.72

$18.61 CHF 15.07

4.30%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.45

$6.17 CHF 5.00

9.08%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.43

$5.79 CHF 4.69

-5.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 CHF 4.22

$5.18 CHF 4.19

0.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 CHF 7.82

$7.44 CHF 6.03

29.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 CHF 5.92

$7.17 CHF 5.80

1.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.79

$2.26 CHF 1.83

-2.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 CHF 3.14

$3.27 CHF 2.65

18.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.19 CHF 4.20

$4.12 CHF 3.34

25.97%

Eggs

$7.82 CHF 6.34

$7.49 CHF 6.07

4.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.51 CHF 23.09

$29.48 CHF 23.88

-3.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.76 CHF 29.78

$31.92 CHF 25.85

15.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.22 CHF 35.82

$50.4 CHF 40.81

-12.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CHF 3.16

$3.22 CHF 2.61

21.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.22

$2.82 CHF 2.29

-2.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CHF 3.38

$3.14 CHF 2.55

33.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.66

$7.28 CHF 5.89

-3.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.64

$2.75 CHF 2.23

18.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.41

$2.33 CHF 1.89

27.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.04

$2.55 CHF 2.06

-1.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$1.71 CHF 1.38

-12.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 CHF 9.58

$11.22 CHF 9.09

5.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 CHF 11.08

$13.26 CHF 10.74

3.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.96

$2.23 CHF 1.81

8.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.46

$2.98 CHF 2.41

2.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 CHF 3.86

$7.76 CHF 6.29

-38.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 85.1

$124 CHF 101

-15.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 CHF 6.42

$6.58 CHF 5.33

20.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.36 CHF 3.53

$4.24 CHF 3.44

2.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 70.8

$79.3 CHF 64.2

10.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$2.27 CHF 1.84

-3.08%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

$41.2K CHF 33.4K

-1.00%

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

$45.1K CHF 36.6K

$40.0K CHF 32.4K

12.78%

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

$302 CHF 245

$260 CHF 211

16.08%

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

$54.0 CHF 43.74

$35.31 CHF 28.60

52.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 47.69

$52.2 CHF 42.27

12.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.9 CHF 73.6

$86.9 CHF 70.4

4.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.38 CHF 33.52

$55.7 CHF 45.12

-25.72%

Cinema Ticket

$23.17 CHF 18.77

$24.42 CHF 19.78

-5.12%

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

$2,533 CHF 2,052

$2,732 CHF 2,213

-7.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

$38.8K CHF 31.4K

-12.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$146 CHF 118

-6.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.6 CHF 71.0

$66.0 CHF 53.4

32.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 CHF 146

$146 CHF 118

23.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$230 CHF 186

$198 CHF 160

15.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 CHF 1,704

$1,882 CHF 1,524

11.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 CHF 1,224

$1,830 CHF 1,482

-17.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,742 CHF 3,031

$2,683 CHF 2,173

39.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 CHF 2,292

$2,936 CHF 2,378

-3.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

$15.8K CHF 12.8K

19.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

$12.6K CHF 10.2K

15.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,175 CHF 5,812

$3,977 CHF 3,221

80.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

2.5

2.00%

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

Last update for Basel: July 12, 2026

Last update for Dubendorf: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,103 in Basel and $1,882 in Dubendorf. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 80% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $154 in Basel vs $145 in Dubendorf for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $692 vs $670 per month, with Dubendorf 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 Dubendorf: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Basel wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Dubendorf. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Basel the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 80% 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: $2,103 in Basel versus $1,882 in Dubendorf. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,533 in Basel versus $2,732 in Dubendorf. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Dubendorf pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Basel 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 Basel delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,606 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Basel hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Dubendorf 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 Basel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Dubendorf. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.