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: $3,653 in Basel versus $3,974 in Dubendorf.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,857 in Basel versus $5,958 in Dubendorf.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,062 in Basel versus $7,942 in Dubendorf.

Living in Basel costs roughly 8% less than in Dubendorf, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 173% above, Dubendorf 197% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.72 CHF 24.22

$30.79 CHF 24.27

-0.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$156 CHF 123

$150 CHF 119

3.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.37 CHF 15.27

$18.42 CHF 14.52

5.16%

Cappuccino

$6.75 CHF 5.32

$6.38 CHF 5.03

5.80%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.47

$5.85 CHF 4.61

-3.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 3.96

$5.40 CHF 4.25

-7.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.95

$7.41 CHF 5.85

36.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.87

$6.99 CHF 5.51

6.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$2.15 CHF 1.69

4.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.94

$3.26 CHF 2.57

14.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.94

$4.08 CHF 3.22

22.30%

Eggs

$8.16 CHF 6.44

$7.26 CHF 5.72

12.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 22.60

$29.29 CHF 23.09

-2.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.93 CHF 28.33

$31.91 CHF 25.16

12.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.12 CHF 34.00

$49.09 CHF 38.70

-12.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.14

$3.18 CHF 2.50

25.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.05

$2.81 CHF 2.21

-7.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.35

$3.09 CHF 2.43

37.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.49

$7.09 CHF 5.59

-1.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$2.78 CHF 2.19

16.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$2.27 CHF 1.79

29.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$2.55 CHF 2.01

-1.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$1.73 CHF 1.37

-10.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 CHF 9.21

$11.01 CHF 8.68

6.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 10.89

$15.50 CHF 12.22

-10.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.88

$2.24 CHF 1.76

6.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.49

$2.95 CHF 2.32

7.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.61

$7.71 CHF 6.08

-40.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.4

$123 CHF 97.1

-15.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.30

$6.87 CHF 5.42

16.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.40

$4.25 CHF 3.35

1.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.8

$79.7 CHF 62.9

9.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.75

$2.31 CHF 1.82

-3.46%

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

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

$39.6K CHF 31.2K

2.01%

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

$44.3K CHF 34.9K

$40.2K CHF 31.7K

10.28%

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

$306 CHF 241

$260 CHF 205

17.52%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.20

$35.53 CHF 28.02

50.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 46.40

$52.7 CHF 41.56

11.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 CHF 71.2

$87.4 CHF 68.9

3.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.51

$55.8 CHF 43.96

-23.77%

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 17.91

$25.12 CHF 19.80

-9.55%

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

$2,574 CHF 2,029

$2,686 CHF 2,118

-4.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

$39.6K CHF 31.3K

-14.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 105

$147 CHF 116

-9.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.3 CHF 69.6

$64.5 CHF 50.8

36.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 CHF 143

$147 CHF 116

22.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 179

$202 CHF 159

12.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CHF 1,665

$1,855 CHF 1,462

13.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 CHF 1,197

$1,860 CHF 1,467

-18.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 CHF 3,018

$2,681 CHF 2,114

42.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,209

$2,917 CHF 2,299

-3.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.0K

$14.0K CHF 11.1K

35.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

$10.0K CHF 7,885

42.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,537

$4,069 CHF 3,208

103.79%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Dubendorf: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Basel and $1,855 in Dubendorf. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 104% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $156 in Basel vs $150 in Dubendorf for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $667 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 9% 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.

Basel pays 104% more on average, 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: $2,112 in Basel versus $1,855 in Dubendorf. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Basel versus $2,686 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 $3,653 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 9% less than in Dubendorf. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.