Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Glarus Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Glarus

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,653 in Basel versus $3,279 in Glarus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,857 in Basel versus $5,259 in Glarus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,062 in Basel versus $7,238 in Glarus.

Living in Basel is roughly 11% more expensive than Glarus, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 173% above, Glarus 145% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.72 CHF 24.22

$30.52 CHF 24.07

0.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$156 CHF 123

$140 CHF 111

10.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.37 CHF 15.27

$16.28 CHF 12.84

18.98%

Cappuccino

$6.75 CHF 5.32

$5.87 CHF 4.63

14.99%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.47

$5.16 CHF 4.07

9.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 3.96

$4.41 CHF 3.48

13.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.95

$7.35 CHF 5.79

37.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.87

$7.23 CHF 5.70

3.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$2.00 CHF 1.58

12.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.94

$2.76 CHF 2.18

35.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.94

$2.21 CHF 1.74

125.79%

Eggs

$8.16 CHF 6.44

$7.98 CHF 6.29

2.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 22.60

$30.90 CHF 24.36

-7.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.93 CHF 28.33

$35.70 CHF 28.14

0.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.12 CHF 34.00

$50.4 CHF 39.71

-14.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.14

$3.68 CHF 2.90

8.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.05

$2.32 CHF 1.83

12.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.35

$2.87 CHF 2.26

47.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.49

$6.36 CHF 5.01

9.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$2.46 CHF 1.94

31.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$2.41 CHF 1.90

21.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$2.67 CHF 2.10

-5.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$1.22 CHF 0.96

27.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 CHF 9.21

$11.14 CHF 8.78

4.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 10.89

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.88

$2.40 CHF 1.89

-0.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.49

$3.31 CHF 2.61

-4.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.61

$6.01 CHF 4.74

-23.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.4

$110 CHF 86.8

-5.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.30

$8.28 CHF 6.52

-3.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.40

$4.29 CHF 3.38

0.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.8

$88.5 CHF 69.8

-1.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.75

$2.05 CHF 1.61

8.78%

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

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

$35.1K CHF 27.7K

15.04%

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

$44.3K CHF 34.9K

$39.3K CHF 31.0K

12.68%

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

$306 CHF 241

$225 CHF 177

36.25%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.20

$72.9 CHF 57.5

-26.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 46.40

$49.82 CHF 39.28

18.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 CHF 71.2

$92.6 CHF 73.0

-2.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.51

$43.93 CHF 34.64

-3.26%

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 17.91

$19.94 CHF 15.72

13.94%

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

$2,574 CHF 2,029

$2,938 CHF 2,317

-12.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

$43.2K CHF 34.1K

-21.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 105

$140 CHF 111

-4.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.3 CHF 69.6

$78.3 CHF 61.7

12.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 CHF 143

$134 CHF 106

35.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 179

$157 CHF 124

44.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CHF 1,665

$1,631 CHF 1,286

29.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 CHF 1,197

$1,328 CHF 1,047

14.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 CHF 3,018

$2,844 CHF 2,242

34.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,209

$2,349 CHF 1,852

19.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.0K

$13.9K CHF 11.0K

37.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

$11.4K CHF 9,002

24.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,537

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 Glarus: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Basel and $1,631 in Glarus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $156 in Basel vs $140 in Glarus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $670 per month, with Glarus 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 Glarus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Glarus wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Glarus the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,479 in Basel and $4,919 in Glarus to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Basel versus $1,631 in Glarus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Basel versus $2,938 in Glarus. 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 $2,500. Glarus 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 Glarus delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,279 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Glarus hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Glarus 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 Glarus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.