Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Dubendorf

For one person, living costs are similar in Basel and in Dubendorf: $3,669 and $3,703 a month, rent and utilities included.

176

Cost of Living Index in Basel
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Basel Living Index
178

Cost of Living Index in Dubendorf
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Dubendorf Living Index

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Basel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,669

/mo nomad

Dubendorf

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,703

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basel and in Dubendorf

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,669 in Basel versus $3,703 in Dubendorf.

Basel $3,669
Dubendorf $3,703

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,649 in Basel versus $5,478 in Dubendorf.

Basel $5,649
Dubendorf $5,478

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,629 in Basel versus $7,254 in Dubendorf.

Basel $7,629
Dubendorf $7,254

Monthly costs are close between Basel and Dubendorf; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 170% above, Dubendorf 172% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.27 CHF 24.96

$30.16 CHF 24.87

0.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 103

$123 CHF 101

1.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.91 CHF 14.77

$16.15 CHF 13.32

10.90%

Cappuccino

$6.52 CHF 5.38

$6.08 CHF 5.02

7.24%

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

$6.47 CHF 5.34

$5.41 CHF 4.46

19.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 CHF 4.87

$4.93 CHF 4.07

19.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.41 CHF 7.76

$8.67 CHF 7.15

8.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.48 CHF 7.82

$6.83 CHF 5.63

38.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.89

$2.18 CHF 1.80

5.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 CHF 2.51

$3.64 CHF 3.00

-16.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 CHF 2.70

$4.38 CHF 3.61

-25.34%

Eggs

$7.97 CHF 6.57

$7.01 CHF 5.79

13.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.34 CHF 21.72

$31.29 CHF 25.81

-15.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.32 CHF 22.53

$25.64 CHF 21.15

6.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.15 CHF 33.94

$41.22 CHF 33.99

-0.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CHF 3.05

$3.59 CHF 2.96

3.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.90

$2.15 CHF 1.78

6.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 CHF 2.50

$3.07 CHF 2.53

-1.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.54 CHF 3.74

$6.43 CHF 5.30

-29.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 CHF 1.38

$2.36 CHF 1.95

-28.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 CHF 1.58

$2.25 CHF 1.86

-15.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CHF 1.87

$2.39 CHF 1.97

-5.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CHF 1.32

$1.37 CHF 1.13

16.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.15 CHF 9.20

$10.79 CHF 8.90

3.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 CHF 9.82

$13.09 CHF 10.80

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CHF 2.01

$2.34 CHF 1.93

4.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CHF 2.50

$3.44 CHF 2.83

-11.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.21 CHF 4.30

$2.44 CHF 2.01

113.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 86.4

$48.16 CHF 39.72

117.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.98 CHF 6.58

$4.52 CHF 3.73

76.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.61 CHF 3.81

$2.85 CHF 2.35

61.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$83.3 CHF 68.7

$60.6 CHF 50.0

37.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.42 CHF 1.99

$2.22 CHF 1.83

9.01%

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

$38.3K CHF 31.6K

$39.1K CHF 32.3K

-2.07%

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

$40.0K CHF 33.0K

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

3.28%

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

$296 CHF 244

$236 CHF 194

25.46%

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

$46.31 CHF 38.20

$28.31 CHF 23.35

63.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 CHF 52.1

$66.6 CHF 54.9

-5.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.0 CHF 67.7

$119 CHF 98.3

-31.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.3 CHF 48.06

$78.9 CHF 65.1

-26.13%

Cinema Ticket

$22.84 CHF 18.84

$23.79 CHF 19.62

-3.99%

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

$3,139 CHF 2,589

$1,532 CHF 1,263

104.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K CHF 26.9K

$25.0K CHF 20.6K

30.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$144 CHF 119

$137 CHF 113

5.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.9 CHF 65.9

$87.2 CHF 71.9

-8.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 131

$148 CHF 122

7.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$195 CHF 161

$170 CHF 141

14.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,087 CHF 1,722

$1,783 CHF 1,471

17.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 CHF 1,358

$1,816 CHF 1,498

-9.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,618 CHF 2,984

$2,871 CHF 2,368

25.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,966 CHF 2,446

$2,799 CHF 2,308

5.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.5K CHF 14.4K

$12.0K CHF 9,885

45.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.7K CHF 11.3K

$7,263 CHF 5,990

89.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,080 CHF 5,839

$3,773 CHF 3,112

87.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.42

2.41

0.41%

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

Last update for Basel: October 25, 2026

Last update for Dubendorf: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Basel

$1.6K 44.9%

Dubendorf

$1.8K 49.1% 10.3% $170

Groceries & Markets

Basel

$584 15.9%

Dubendorf

$607 16.4% 4% $24

Eating Out

Basel

$490 13.3%

Dubendorf

$461 12.5% 5.8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basel

$405 11%

Dubendorf

$330 8.9% 18.4% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Basel

$261 7.1%

Dubendorf

$245 6.6% 6.1% $16

Getting Around

Basel

$157 4.3%

Dubendorf

$77 2.1% 51% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Basel

$128 3.5%

Dubendorf

$167 4.5% 30.6% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,087 in Basel and $1,783 in Dubendorf. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 88% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $125 in Basel vs $123 in Dubendorf. Groceries flip the comparison at $584 vs $607, with Basel cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Basel

🇨🇭 Dubendorf

🕒 Local time

04:19 4:19 AM

Same time as Basel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,491

26,759

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Basel Dubendorf 80 km

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Basel
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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 Dubendorf: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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: $2,087 in Basel versus $1,783 in Dubendorf. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Dubendorf. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

A monthly transit pass in Dubendorf runs roughly 54% less than in Basel. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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 cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Basel and Dubendorf are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.