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: $3,606 in Basel versus $3,371 in Glarus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,819 in Basel versus $5,198 in Glarus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,033 in Basel versus $7,024 in Glarus.

Living in Basel is roughly 7% more expensive than in Glarus, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 170% above, Glarus 152% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.16 CHF 25.24

$30.97 CHF 25.09

0.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 125

$141 CHF 114

9.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.41 CHF 15.72

$15.91 CHF 12.89

22.00%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.45

$5.79 CHF 4.69

16.23%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.43

$5.42 CHF 4.39

0.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 CHF 4.22

$4.25 CHF 3.45

22.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 CHF 7.82

$7.35 CHF 5.95

31.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 CHF 5.92

$7.33 CHF 5.94

-0.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.79

$1.95 CHF 1.58

13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 CHF 3.14

$2.85 CHF 2.30

35.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.19 CHF 4.20

$2.21 CHF 1.79

134.84%

Eggs

$7.82 CHF 6.34

$7.98 CHF 6.46

-2.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.51 CHF 23.09

$30.67 CHF 24.84

-7.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.76 CHF 29.78

$35.89 CHF 29.07

2.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.22 CHF 35.82

$51.3 CHF 41.59

-13.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CHF 3.16

$3.79 CHF 3.07

3.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.22

$2.31 CHF 1.87

18.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CHF 3.38

$2.87 CHF 2.33

45.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.66

$6.16 CHF 4.99

13.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.64

$2.38 CHF 1.93

36.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.41

$2.47 CHF 2.00

20.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.04

$2.58 CHF 2.09

-2.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$1.22 CHF 0.98

22.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 CHF 9.58

$11.02 CHF 8.93

7.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 CHF 11.08

$11.25 CHF 9.11

21.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.46

$3.48 CHF 2.82

-12.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 CHF 3.86

$6.01 CHF 4.87

-20.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 85.1

$112 CHF 90.4

-5.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 CHF 6.42

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.36 CHF 3.53

$4.13 CHF 3.34

5.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 70.8

$87.1 CHF 70.6

0.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$2.14 CHF 1.73

2.80%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

$35.3K CHF 28.6K

15.62%

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

$45.1K CHF 36.6K

$38.7K CHF 31.4K

16.46%

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

$302 CHF 245

$224 CHF 182

34.66%

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

$54.0 CHF 43.74

$74.4 CHF 60.2

-27.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 47.69

$48.66 CHF 39.41

21.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.9 CHF 73.6

$91.4 CHF 74.0

-0.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.38 CHF 33.52

$43.27 CHF 35.05

-4.37%

Cinema Ticket

$23.17 CHF 18.77

$20.61 CHF 16.69

12.42%

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

$2,533 CHF 2,052

$2,895 CHF 2,345

-12.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

$42.3K CHF 34.3K

-20.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$139 CHF 113

-2.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.6 CHF 71.0

$75.7 CHF 61.3

15.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 CHF 146

$134 CHF 108

34.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$230 CHF 186

$159 CHF 129

44.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 CHF 1,704

$1,668 CHF 1,351

26.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 CHF 1,224

$1,319 CHF 1,069

14.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,742 CHF 3,031

$2,892 CHF 2,343

29.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 CHF 2,292

$2,374 CHF 1,923

19.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

$14.1K CHF 11.4K

32.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

$10.7K CHF 8,703

35.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,175 CHF 5,812

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Glarus: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,103 in Basel and $1,668 in Glarus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $154 in Basel vs $141 in Glarus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $692 vs $668 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 7% 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 $5,409 in Basel and $5,056 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: $2,103 in Basel versus $1,668 in Glarus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,533 in Basel versus $2,895 in Glarus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% 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 $3,371 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 7% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.