Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Frauenfeld Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Frauenfeld

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,610 in Basel versus $3,185 in Frauenfeld.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,659 in Basel versus $5,151 in Frauenfeld.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,707 in Basel versus $7,117 in Frauenfeld.

Living in Basel is roughly 13% more expensive than in Frauenfeld, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 164% above, Frauenfeld 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 CHF 25.48

$30.78 CHF 25.40

0.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 104

$124 CHF 102

1.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.50 CHF 15.27

$20.19 CHF 16.67

-8.37%

Cappuccino

$6.72 CHF 5.54

$6.24 CHF 5.15

7.69%

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

$6.38 CHF 5.27

$5.48 CHF 4.52

16.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 CHF 4.79

$5.03 CHF 4.15

15.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.93

$8.69 CHF 7.17

10.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.74 CHF 8.04

$6.97 CHF 5.75

39.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.86

$2.22 CHF 1.84

1.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 CHF 2.49

$3.84 CHF 3.17

-21.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 CHF 2.76

$4.36 CHF 3.60

-23.39%

Eggs

$8.26 CHF 6.82

$7.77 CHF 6.41

6.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.04 CHF 21.50

$27.42 CHF 22.63

-5.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.62 CHF 22.80

$29.79 CHF 24.59

-7.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.64 CHF 34.37

$44.22 CHF 36.50

-5.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.93

$3.78 CHF 3.12

-6.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.87

$2.17 CHF 1.79

4.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.43

$2.77 CHF 2.29

6.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 CHF 3.82

$5.45 CHF 4.49

-15.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 CHF 1.46

$2.41 CHF 1.99

-26.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.65

$2.46 CHF 2.03

-18.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 CHF 1.81

$2.42 CHF 2.00

-9.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CHF 1.31

$1.25 CHF 1.03

27.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.43 CHF 9.43

$11.16 CHF 9.21

2.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 CHF 10.00

$14.98 CHF 12.37

-19.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CHF 2.08

$2.94 CHF 2.42

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CHF 2.50

$4.12 CHF 3.40

-26.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 CHF 3.77

$4.38 CHF 3.62

4.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 87.6

$100 CHF 82.8

5.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 CHF 6.52

$5.59 CHF 4.62

41.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.58 CHF 3.78

$3.55 CHF 2.93

29.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.3 CHF 71.3

$61.8 CHF 51.0

39.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.87

$2.29 CHF 1.89

-1.31%

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

$43.2K CHF 35.6K

$43.9K CHF 36.2K

-1.67%

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

$40.5K CHF 33.4K

$40.8K CHF 33.7K

-0.75%

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

$295 CHF 244

$235 CHF 194

25.91%

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

$53.7 CHF 44.36

$40.43 CHF 33.37

32.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 CHF 53.0

$64.9 CHF 53.6

-1.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.3 CHF 69.5

$103 CHF 84.8

-17.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.7 CHF 47.61

$47.22 CHF 38.98

22.15%

Cinema Ticket

$23.28 CHF 19.21

$24.17 CHF 19.95

-3.68%

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

$3,047 CHF 2,515

$1,871 CHF 1,544

62.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.5K

$33.4K CHF 27.6K

-0.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 120

$168 CHF 139

-13.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.2 CHF 66.2

$56.3 CHF 46.49

42.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 CHF 133

$196 CHF 161

-17.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 164

$144 CHF 119

37.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 CHF 1,728

$1,472 CHF 1,215

42.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 CHF 1,269

$1,207 CHF 996

27.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,533 CHF 2,917

$2,653 CHF 2,190

33.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 CHF 2,328

$2,375 CHF 1,960

18.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 15.1K

$16.1K CHF 13.3K

13.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.7K CHF 12.1K

$12.6K CHF 10.4K

16.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,077 CHF 5,841

$6,330 CHF 5,225

11.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

2.35

3.40%

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

Last update for Basel: September 14, 2026

Last update for Frauenfeld: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,093 in Basel and $1,472 in Frauenfeld. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 12% 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 Frauenfeld. Groceries flip the comparison at $587 vs $633, 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 Frauenfeld: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Frauenfeld wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Frauenfeld the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 12% 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 $1,472 in Frauenfeld. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,047 in Basel versus $1,871 in Frauenfeld. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Basel pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Frauenfeld 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 Frauenfeld delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,185 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Frauenfeld hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Frauenfeld 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 Frauenfeld gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.