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: $3,606 in Basel versus $3,115 in Frauenfeld.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,819 in Basel versus $5,042 in Frauenfeld.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,033 in Basel versus $6,969 in Frauenfeld.

Living in Basel is roughly 16% more expensive than in Frauenfeld, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 170% above, Frauenfeld 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.16 CHF 25.24

$27.23 CHF 22.06

14.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 125

$141 CHF 114

9.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.41 CHF 15.72

$16.16 CHF 13.09

20.11%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.45

$6.17 CHF 5.00

9.08%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.43

$5.00 CHF 4.05

9.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 CHF 4.22

$4.36 CHF 3.53

19.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 CHF 7.82

$6.24 CHF 5.05

54.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 CHF 5.92

$5.63 CHF 4.56

29.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.79

$1.93 CHF 1.56

14.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 CHF 3.14

$3.78 CHF 3.06

2.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.19 CHF 4.20

$3.15 CHF 2.55

64.76%

Eggs

$7.82 CHF 6.34

$7.69 CHF 6.23

1.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.51 CHF 23.09

$27.44 CHF 22.23

3.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.76 CHF 29.78

$29.48 CHF 23.88

24.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.22 CHF 35.82

$51.7 CHF 41.87

-14.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CHF 3.16

$3.47 CHF 2.81

12.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.22

$2.30 CHF 1.86

19.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CHF 3.38

$2.49 CHF 2.02

67.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.66

$2.39 CHF 1.94

192.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.64

$2.50 CHF 2.03

30.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.41

$2.50 CHF 2.02

19.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.04

$1.82 CHF 1.47

38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$1.21 CHF 0.98

23.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 CHF 9.58

$11.22 CHF 9.09

5.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 CHF 11.08

$14.45 CHF 11.71

-5.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.96

$2.49 CHF 2.02

-2.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.46

$1.89 CHF 1.53

60.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 CHF 3.86

$4.06 CHF 3.29

17.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 85.1

$98.5 CHF 79.8

6.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 CHF 6.42

$8.36 CHF 6.78

-5.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.36 CHF 3.53

$4.28 CHF 3.47

1.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 70.8

$87.7 CHF 71.0

-0.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$2.22 CHF 1.80

-0.90%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

$40.5K CHF 32.8K

0.80%

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

$45.1K CHF 36.6K

$42.3K CHF 34.3K

6.57%

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

$302 CHF 245

$249 CHF 202

21.23%

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

$54.0 CHF 43.74

$44.01 CHF 35.64

22.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 47.69

$57.6 CHF 46.62

2.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.9 CHF 73.6

$103 CHF 83.6

-11.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.38 CHF 33.52

Cinema Ticket

$23.17 CHF 18.77

$19.92 CHF 16.13

16.32%

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

$2,533 CHF 2,052

$2,851 CHF 2,309

-11.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

$42.3K CHF 34.3K

-20.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$132 CHF 107

2.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.6 CHF 71.0

$56.1 CHF 45.42

56.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 CHF 146

$123 CHF 99.3

46.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$230 CHF 186

$139 CHF 112

65.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 CHF 1,704

$1,492 CHF 1,209

40.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 CHF 1,224

$1,182 CHF 958

27.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,742 CHF 3,031

$2,695 CHF 2,183

38.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 CHF 2,292

$2,403 CHF 1,946

17.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

$15.9K CHF 12.9K

18.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

$12.4K CHF 10.0K

17.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,175 CHF 5,812

$6,158 CHF 4,988

16.51%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Frauenfeld: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,103 in Basel and $1,492 in Frauenfeld. 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: $154 in Basel vs $141 in Frauenfeld for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $692 vs $618 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 16% 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 17% 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 $1,492 in Frauenfeld. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,533 in Basel versus $2,851 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 $3,115 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 16% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.