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: $3,653 in Basel versus $3,441 in Embrach.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,857 in Basel versus $5,370 in Embrach.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,062 in Basel versus $7,299 in Embrach.

Living in Basel is roughly 6% more expensive than Embrach, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 173% above, Embrach 157% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.72 CHF 24.22

$31.11 CHF 24.53

-1.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$156 CHF 123

$142 CHF 112

9.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.37 CHF 15.27

$18.56 CHF 14.63

4.36%

Cappuccino

$6.75 CHF 5.32

$6.06 CHF 4.78

11.39%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.47

$5.15 CHF 4.06

10.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 3.96

$4.79 CHF 3.78

4.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.95

$8.30 CHF 6.54

21.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.87

$7.50 CHF 5.91

-0.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$2.23 CHF 1.76

0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.94

$3.60 CHF 2.83

3.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.94

$4.06 CHF 3.20

22.91%

Eggs

$8.16 CHF 6.44

$7.36 CHF 5.80

10.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 22.60

$29.40 CHF 23.18

-2.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.93 CHF 28.33

$33.77 CHF 26.62

6.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.12 CHF 34.00

$48.58 CHF 38.30

-11.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.14

$3.77 CHF 2.97

5.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.05

$2.35 CHF 1.85

10.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.35

$2.94 CHF 2.32

44.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.49

$6.23 CHF 4.92

11.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$2.45 CHF 1.93

31.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$2.36 CHF 1.86

24.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$2.62 CHF 2.07

-4.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$1.38 CHF 1.09

12.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 CHF 9.21

$11.06 CHF 8.72

5.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 10.89

$14.19 CHF 11.19

-2.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.88

$2.46 CHF 1.94

-2.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.49

$3.38 CHF 2.66

-6.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.61

$3.99 CHF 3.15

14.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.4

$99.5 CHF 78.4

5.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.30

$7.79 CHF 6.14

2.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.40

$4.15 CHF 3.27

3.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.8

$81.0 CHF 63.9

7.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.75

$2.15 CHF 1.69

3.72%

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

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

$40.5K CHF 31.9K

-0.24%

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

$44.3K CHF 34.9K

$41.6K CHF 32.8K

6.57%

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

$306 CHF 241

$262 CHF 207

16.75%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.20

$49.08 CHF 38.69

9.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 46.40

$59.7 CHF 47.06

-1.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 CHF 71.2

$88.4 CHF 69.7

2.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.51

$74.5 CHF 58.7

-42.96%

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 17.91

$23.05 CHF 18.17

-1.43%

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

$2,574 CHF 2,029

$2,866 CHF 2,259

-10.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

$34.8K CHF 27.4K

-2.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 105

$137 CHF 108

-2.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.3 CHF 69.6

$67.3 CHF 53.0

31.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 CHF 143

$150 CHF 119

20.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 179

$187 CHF 147

21.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CHF 1,665

$1,669 CHF 1,316

26.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 CHF 1,197

$1,442 CHF 1,137

5.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 CHF 3,018

$2,861 CHF 2,256

33.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,209

$2,501 CHF 1,972

12.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.0K

$13.8K CHF 10.9K

38.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

$10.1K CHF 7,949

41.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,537

$7,107 CHF 5,603

16.68%

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 Embrach: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Basel and $1,669 in Embrach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 17% 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: $156 in Basel vs $142 in Embrach for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $669 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 6% 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.

Basel pays 17% 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 $1,669 in Embrach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Basel versus $2,866 in Embrach. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% 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 $3,441 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 6% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.