Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Embrach Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Embrach

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,606 in Basel versus $3,494 in Embrach.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,819 in Basel versus $5,444 in Embrach.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,033 in Basel versus $7,395 in Embrach.

Living in Basel is roughly 3% more expensive than in Embrach, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 170% above, Embrach 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.16 CHF 25.24

$31.20 CHF 25.27

-0.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 125

$142 CHF 115

8.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.41 CHF 15.72

$18.13 CHF 14.68

7.06%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.45

$5.94 CHF 4.82

13.30%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.43

$5.39 CHF 4.37

1.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 CHF 4.22

$4.87 CHF 3.94

6.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 CHF 7.82

$8.34 CHF 6.75

15.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 CHF 5.92

$7.28 CHF 5.90

0.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.79

$2.13 CHF 1.73

3.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 CHF 3.14

$3.63 CHF 2.94

6.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.19 CHF 4.20

$4.28 CHF 3.47

21.26%

Eggs

$7.82 CHF 6.34

$7.25 CHF 5.88

7.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.51 CHF 23.09

$28.83 CHF 23.35

-1.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.76 CHF 29.78

$33.53 CHF 27.16

9.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.22 CHF 35.82

$48.42 CHF 39.22

-8.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CHF 3.16

$3.70 CHF 3.00

5.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.22

$2.24 CHF 1.82

22.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CHF 3.38

$2.90 CHF 2.35

44.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.66

$6.46 CHF 5.23

8.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.64

$2.52 CHF 2.04

29.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.41

$2.32 CHF 1.88

28.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.04

$2.59 CHF 2.10

-2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$1.37 CHF 1.11

8.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 CHF 9.58

$11.03 CHF 8.93

7.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 CHF 11.08

$13.00 CHF 10.53

5.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.96

$2.43 CHF 1.97

-0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.46

$3.20 CHF 2.59

-5.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 CHF 3.86

$3.82 CHF 3.09

24.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 85.1

$98.5 CHF 79.8

6.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 CHF 6.42

$8.01 CHF 6.49

-1.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.36 CHF 3.53

$4.11 CHF 3.33

6.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 70.8

$80.2 CHF 65.0

8.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$2.19 CHF 1.78

0.46%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

$40.1K CHF 32.5K

1.63%

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

$45.1K CHF 36.6K

$41.7K CHF 33.8K

8.23%

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

$302 CHF 245

$259 CHF 210

16.54%

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

$54.0 CHF 43.74

$49.04 CHF 39.72

10.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 47.69

$59.1 CHF 47.84

-0.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.9 CHF 73.6

$87.1 CHF 70.5

4.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.38 CHF 33.52

$74.1 CHF 60.0

-44.16%

Cinema Ticket

$23.17 CHF 18.77

$22.37 CHF 18.12

3.58%

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

$2,533 CHF 2,052

$2,938 CHF 2,380

-13.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

$35.4K CHF 28.7K

-4.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$137 CHF 111

-1.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.6 CHF 71.0

$68.4 CHF 55.4

28.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 CHF 146

$149 CHF 120

20.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$230 CHF 186

$186 CHF 151

23.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 CHF 1,704

$1,691 CHF 1,369

24.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 CHF 1,224

$1,472 CHF 1,192

2.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,742 CHF 3,031

$2,850 CHF 2,309

31.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 CHF 2,292

$2,497 CHF 2,023

13.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

$16.2K CHF 13.1K

15.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

$12.6K CHF 10.2K

16.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,175 CHF 5,812

$6,700 CHF 5,427

7.10%

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 Embrach: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,103 in Basel and $1,691 in Embrach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 7% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $154 in Basel vs $142 in Embrach for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $692 vs $663 per month, with Embrach 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 Embrach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Embrach wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Embrach the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 7% 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 $1,691 in Embrach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,533 in Basel versus $2,938 in Embrach. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% 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. Embrach 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 Embrach delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,494 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Embrach hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Embrach 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 Embrach gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.