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: $3,610 in Basel versus $3,351 in Glarus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,659 in Basel versus $5,130 in Glarus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,707 in Basel versus $6,909 in Glarus.

Living in Basel is roughly 8% more expensive than in Glarus, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 164% above, Glarus 145% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 CHF 25.48

$28.95 CHF 23.90

6.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 104

$124 CHF 102

1.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.50 CHF 15.27

$18.03 CHF 14.88

2.61%

Cappuccino

$6.72 CHF 5.54

$6.28 CHF 5.19

7.01%

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

$6.38 CHF 5.27

$3.80 CHF 3.14

67.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 CHF 4.79

$3.94 CHF 3.26

47.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.93

$8.91 CHF 7.36

7.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.74 CHF 8.04

$6.62 CHF 5.46

47.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.86

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 CHF 2.49

$3.15 CHF 2.60

-4.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 CHF 2.76

$2.86 CHF 2.36

16.78%

Eggs

$8.26 CHF 6.82

$7.93 CHF 6.54

4.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.04 CHF 21.50

$8.36 CHF 6.90

211.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.62 CHF 22.80

$14.64 CHF 12.09

88.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.64 CHF 34.37

$38.82 CHF 32.04

7.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.93

$3.15 CHF 2.60

12.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.87

$1.61 CHF 1.33

40.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.43

$2.37 CHF 1.95

24.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 CHF 3.82

$5.39 CHF 4.45

-14.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 CHF 1.46

$1.75 CHF 1.45

1.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.65

$2.18 CHF 1.80

-8.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 CHF 1.81

$2.29 CHF 1.89

-4.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CHF 1.31

$1.19 CHF 0.99

33.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.43 CHF 9.43

$11.12 CHF 9.17

2.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 CHF 10.00

$11.41 CHF 9.42

6.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CHF 2.08

$2.15 CHF 1.78

17.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CHF 2.50

$2.27 CHF 1.87

33.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 CHF 3.77

$6.01 CHF 4.96

-23.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 87.6

$225 CHF 186

-52.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 CHF 6.52

$6.72 CHF 5.54

17.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.58 CHF 3.78

$4.75 CHF 3.92

-3.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.3 CHF 71.3

$79.6 CHF 65.7

8.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.87

$2.11 CHF 1.75

7.11%

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

$43.2K CHF 35.6K

$35.0K CHF 28.9K

23.45%

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

$40.5K CHF 33.4K

$40.3K CHF 33.3K

0.49%

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

$295 CHF 244

$314 CHF 259

-6.05%

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

$53.7 CHF 44.36

$39.29 CHF 32.43

36.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 CHF 53.0

$55.2 CHF 45.59

16.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.3 CHF 69.5

$163 CHF 134

-48.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.7 CHF 47.61

$43.42 CHF 35.84

32.84%

Cinema Ticket

$23.28 CHF 19.21

$25.82 CHF 21.31

-9.84%

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

$3,047 CHF 2,515

$2,350 CHF 1,940

29.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.5K

$31.9K CHF 26.4K

4.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 120

$102 CHF 84.2

42.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.2 CHF 66.2

$42.50 CHF 35.08

88.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 CHF 133

$135 CHF 111

19.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 164

$96.3 CHF 79.5

106.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 CHF 1,728

$1,680 CHF 1,387

24.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 CHF 1,269

$1,398 CHF 1,154

9.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,533 CHF 2,917

$2,969 CHF 2,451

19.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 CHF 2,328

$2,347 CHF 1,937

20.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 15.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.7K CHF 12.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,077 CHF 5,841

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

2.1

15.71%

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

Last update for Basel: September 14, 2026

Last update for Glarus: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,093 in Basel and $1,680 in Glarus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $126 in Basel vs $124 in Glarus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $587 vs $445 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 8% 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 $5,415 in Basel and $5,026 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: $2,093 in Basel versus $1,680 in Glarus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,047 in Basel versus $2,350 in Glarus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% 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 $3,351 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 8% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.