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: $3,544 in Basel versus $3,847 in Dubendorf.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,518 in Basel versus $5,701 in Dubendorf.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,492 in Basel versus $7,554 in Dubendorf.

Living in Basel costs roughly 8% less than in Dubendorf, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 157% above, Dubendorf 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.93 CHF 24.42

$31.49 CHF 25.70

-4.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 102

0.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.69 CHF 15.25

$16.63 CHF 13.57

12.39%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.49

$6.28 CHF 5.12

7.17%

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

$6.33 CHF 5.17

$5.72 CHF 4.67

10.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 CHF 4.78

$5.02 CHF 4.10

16.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.34 CHF 7.62

$8.89 CHF 7.25

5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 CHF 8.22

$6.65 CHF 5.42

51.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.89

$2.24 CHF 1.83

3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 CHF 2.49

$3.85 CHF 3.14

-20.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 CHF 2.71

$4.80 CHF 3.92

-30.83%

Eggs

$8.34 CHF 6.80

$7.47 CHF 6.10

11.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.21 CHF 21.39

$32.77 CHF 26.74

-20.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.85 CHF 22.73

$26.42 CHF 21.56

5.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.56 CHF 34.73

$43.21 CHF 35.27

-1.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 CHF 2.99

$3.68 CHF 3.00

-0.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.96

$2.17 CHF 1.77

10.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 CHF 2.44

$3.31 CHF 2.70

-9.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 CHF 3.94

$6.82 CHF 5.57

-29.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CHF 1.46

$2.56 CHF 2.09

-30.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 CHF 1.59

$2.32 CHF 1.90

-15.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.90

$2.46 CHF 2.01

-5.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.36

$1.41 CHF 1.15

17.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CHF 9.49

$10.93 CHF 8.92

6.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 CHF 9.99

$13.42 CHF 10.95

-8.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

$2.30 CHF 1.88

8.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.59

$2.78 CHF 2.27

14.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 CHF 3.63

$2.49 CHF 2.03

78.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 88.3

$49.09 CHF 40.07

120.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.52

$5.59 CHF 4.56

42.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.59 CHF 3.75

$3.53 CHF 2.88

30.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.0 CHF 71.8

$62.0 CHF 50.6

41.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.87

$2.28 CHF 1.86

0.44%

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

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

$42.9K CHF 35.0K

3.08%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.3K

$39.8K CHF 32.5K

-0.41%

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

$299 CHF 244

$242 CHF 198

23.20%

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

$53.3 CHF 43.47

$31.87 CHF 26.01

67.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 CHF 53.9

$67.3 CHF 54.9

-1.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.8 CHF 70.0

$122 CHF 99.6

-29.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.0 CHF 48.17

$80.6 CHF 65.8

-26.77%

Cinema Ticket

$23.81 CHF 19.44

$24.99 CHF 20.40

-4.72%

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

$3,026 CHF 2,470

$1,876 CHF 1,531

61.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

$33.4K CHF 27.2K

-0.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 120

$144 CHF 118

1.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.6 CHF 66.6

$88.9 CHF 72.6

-8.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 CHF 134

$148 CHF 121

10.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 162

$178 CHF 145

11.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 CHF 1,747

$1,828 CHF 1,491

17.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CHF 1,247

$1,836 CHF 1,498

-16.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,615 CHF 2,950

$2,948 CHF 2,406

22.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,890 CHF 2,358

$2,918 CHF 2,381

-0.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

$12.3K CHF 10.1K

49.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

$7,532 CHF 6,147

92.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,336 CHF 5,987

$3,907 CHF 3,188

87.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

2.48

-2.02%

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

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Last update for Dubendorf: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,141 in Basel and $1,828 in Dubendorf. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 88% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $125 in Basel vs $125 in Dubendorf for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $597 vs $632 per month, with Basel 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.

Average pay runs 88% 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: $2,141 in Basel versus $1,828 in Dubendorf. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,026 in Basel versus $1,876 in Dubendorf. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Dubendorf. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 $3,544 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.