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: $3,610 in Basel versus $3,502 in Embrach.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,659 in Basel versus $5,311 in Embrach.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,707 in Basel versus $7,120 in Embrach.

Living in Basel is roughly 3% more expensive than in Embrach, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 164% above, Embrach 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 CHF 25.48

$30.48 CHF 25.16

1.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 104

$124 CHF 102

1.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.50 CHF 15.27

$18.51 CHF 15.28

-0.05%

Cappuccino

$6.72 CHF 5.54

$6.00 CHF 4.95

12.00%

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

$6.38 CHF 5.27

$5.48 CHF 4.53

16.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 CHF 4.79

$4.99 CHF 4.12

16.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.93

$8.87 CHF 7.32

8.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.74 CHF 8.04

$7.36 CHF 6.07

32.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.86

$2.17 CHF 1.79

3.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 CHF 2.49

$3.71 CHF 3.06

-18.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 CHF 2.76

$3.86 CHF 3.18

-13.47%

Eggs

$8.26 CHF 6.82

$7.96 CHF 6.57

3.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.04 CHF 21.50

$26.40 CHF 21.79

-1.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.62 CHF 22.80

$28.10 CHF 23.20

-1.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.64 CHF 34.37

$40.98 CHF 33.82

1.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.93

$3.70 CHF 3.05

-4.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.87

$2.11 CHF 1.74

7.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.43

$2.69 CHF 2.22

9.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 CHF 3.82

$4.91 CHF 4.05

-5.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 CHF 1.46

$1.90 CHF 1.57

-6.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.65

$2.12 CHF 1.75

-5.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 CHF 1.81

$2.25 CHF 1.85

-2.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CHF 1.31

$1.34 CHF 1.11

18.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.43 CHF 9.43

$10.91 CHF 9.01

4.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 CHF 10.00

$13.32 CHF 10.99

-9.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CHF 2.08

$2.76 CHF 2.28

-8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CHF 2.50

$3.16 CHF 2.60

-4.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 CHF 3.77

$4.46 CHF 3.68

2.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 87.6

$101 CHF 83.1

5.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 CHF 6.52

$7.57 CHF 6.25

4.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.58 CHF 3.78

$4.76 CHF 3.93

-3.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.3 CHF 71.3

$80.9 CHF 66.8

6.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.87

$2.23 CHF 1.84

1.35%

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

$43.2K CHF 35.6K

$42.4K CHF 35.0K

1.85%

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

$40.5K CHF 33.4K

$39.8K CHF 32.8K

1.84%

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

$295 CHF 244

$288 CHF 238

2.40%

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

$53.7 CHF 44.36

$33.75 CHF 27.85

59.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 CHF 53.0

$57.8 CHF 47.70

11.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.3 CHF 69.5

$91.3 CHF 75.4

-7.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.7 CHF 47.61

$45.78 CHF 37.78

25.99%

Cinema Ticket

$23.28 CHF 19.21

$23.65 CHF 19.52

-1.56%

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

$3,047 CHF 2,515

$2,764 CHF 2,282

10.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.5K

$35.3K CHF 29.1K

-5.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 120

$142 CHF 117

2.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.2 CHF 66.2

$59.2 CHF 48.84

35.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 CHF 133

$170 CHF 140

-4.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 164

$191 CHF 157

4.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 CHF 1,728

$1,772 CHF 1,463

18.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 CHF 1,269

$1,476 CHF 1,219

4.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,533 CHF 2,917

$2,960 CHF 2,443

19.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 CHF 2,328

$2,520 CHF 2,080

11.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 15.1K

$16.4K CHF 13.5K

11.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.7K CHF 12.1K

$12.5K CHF 10.3K

17.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,077 CHF 5,841

$6,661 CHF 5,498

6.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

2.07

17.39%

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

Last update for Basel: September 14, 2026

Last update for Embrach: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,093 in Basel and $1,772 in Embrach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 6% 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: $126 in Basel vs $124 in Embrach. Groceries flip the comparison at $587 vs $597, with Basel cheaper for home cooking.

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 6% 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: $2,093 in Basel versus $1,772 in Embrach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,047 in Basel versus $2,764 in Embrach. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Basel pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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 $3,502 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.