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: $3,653 in Basel versus $3,028 in Frauenfeld.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,857 in Basel versus $4,964 in Frauenfeld.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,062 in Basel versus $6,900 in Frauenfeld.

Living in Basel is roughly 21% more expensive than Frauenfeld, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 173% above, Frauenfeld 126% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.72 CHF 24.30

$26.61 CHF 21.05

15.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$156 CHF 123

$139 CHF 110

12.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.37 CHF 15.32

$15.92 CHF 12.59

21.67%

Cappuccino

$6.75 CHF 5.34

$6.18 CHF 4.89

9.22%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.48

$4.94 CHF 3.91

14.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 3.97

$4.28 CHF 3.39

17.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.98

$6.12 CHF 4.84

64.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.89

$5.67 CHF 4.48

31.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$1.91 CHF 1.51

17.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.95

$3.64 CHF 2.88

2.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.95

$3.01 CHF 2.38

65.78%

Eggs

$8.16 CHF 6.46

$7.63 CHF 6.04

6.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 22.68

$26.73 CHF 21.15

7.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.93 CHF 28.42

$29.48 CHF 23.32

21.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.12 CHF 34.11

$51.5 CHF 40.73

-16.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.15

$3.55 CHF 2.81

12.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.06

$2.25 CHF 1.78

15.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.36

$2.50 CHF 1.97

69.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.50

$2.39 CHF 1.89

191.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$2.37 CHF 1.88

36.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.33

$2.42 CHF 1.91

21.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.99

$1.89 CHF 1.50

32.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.23

$1.26 CHF 1.00

23.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 CHF 9.24

$11.00 CHF 8.70

6.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 10.92

$13.89 CHF 10.99

-0.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.89

$2.50 CHF 1.98

-4.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.50

$1.80 CHF 1.42

75.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.62

$4.04 CHF 3.19

13.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.7

$97.9 CHF 77.5

6.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.32

$8.08 CHF 6.39

-1.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.41

$4.15 CHF 3.28

3.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 69.0

$87.0 CHF 68.8

0.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.76

$2.20 CHF 1.74

1.36%

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

$40.4K CHF 32.0K

$40.8K CHF 32.3K

-0.93%

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

$44.3K CHF 35.1K

$42.6K CHF 33.7K

4.03%

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

$306 CHF 242

$249 CHF 197

23.12%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.34

$42.82 CHF 33.88

24.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 46.55

$57.2 CHF 45.27

2.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 CHF 71.4

$104 CHF 82.0

-12.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.63

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 17.97

$20.04 CHF 15.85

13.37%

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

$2,574 CHF 2,036

$2,913 CHF 2,304

-11.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 26.9K

$42.5K CHF 33.6K

-20.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 106

$130 CHF 103

2.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.3 CHF 69.9

$55.2 CHF 43.64

60.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 CHF 143

$124 CHF 98.4

45.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 179

$142 CHF 113

59.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CHF 1,670

$1,492 CHF 1,180

41.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 CHF 1,202

$1,184 CHF 936

28.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 CHF 3,028

$2,659 CHF 2,104

43.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,217

$2,436 CHF 1,927

15.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.1K

$13.8K CHF 10.9K

38.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.3K

$10.2K CHF 8,072

39.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,560

$6,486 CHF 5,131

27.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

2.35

8.51%

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

Last update for Basel: May 31, 2026

Last update for Frauenfeld: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Basel and $1,492 in Frauenfeld. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 28% 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 $139 in Frauenfeld for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $612 per month, with Frauenfeld 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 Frauenfeld: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Frauenfeld wins on cost – living expenses run 21% 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.

Basel pays 28% 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 $1,492 in Frauenfeld. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Basel versus $2,913 in Frauenfeld. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 $3,028 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 21% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.