Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Glattfelden Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Glattfelden

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,653 in Basel versus $3,489 in Glattfelden.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,857 in Basel versus $5,368 in Glattfelden.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,062 in Basel versus $7,247 in Glattfelden.

Living in Basel is roughly 5% more expensive than Glattfelden, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 173% above, Glattfelden 160% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.72 CHF 24.22

$31.29 CHF 24.67

-1.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$156 CHF 123

$144 CHF 113

8.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.37 CHF 15.27

$18.54 CHF 14.62

4.48%

Cappuccino

$6.75 CHF 5.32

$5.90 CHF 4.65

14.41%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.47

$5.34 CHF 4.21

6.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 3.96

$4.78 CHF 3.77

5.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.95

$8.30 CHF 6.54

21.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.87

$7.32 CHF 5.77

1.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$2.24 CHF 1.76

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.94

$3.58 CHF 2.83

4.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.94

$4.11 CHF 3.24

21.41%

Eggs

$8.16 CHF 6.44

$7.55 CHF 5.95

8.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 22.60

$29.20 CHF 23.02

-1.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.93 CHF 28.33

$33.61 CHF 26.50

6.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.12 CHF 34.00

$48.13 CHF 37.94

-10.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.14

$3.68 CHF 2.90

8.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.05

$2.22 CHF 1.75

17.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.35

$2.85 CHF 2.24

48.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.49

$6.24 CHF 4.92

11.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$2.42 CHF 1.91

33.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$2.40 CHF 1.89

22.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$2.53 CHF 2.00

-0.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$1.37 CHF 1.08

13.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 CHF 9.21

$11.29 CHF 8.90

3.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 10.89

$12.08 CHF 9.53

14.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.88

$2.42 CHF 1.90

-1.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.49

$3.20 CHF 2.52

-1.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.61

$3.83 CHF 3.02

19.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.4

$97.6 CHF 76.9

7.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.30

$7.72 CHF 6.09

3.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.40

$4.33 CHF 3.41

-0.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.8

$79.2 CHF 62.5

10.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.75

$2.22 CHF 1.75

0.45%

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

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

$40.9K CHF 32.2K

-1.17%

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

$44.3K CHF 34.9K

$41.0K CHF 32.3K

8.05%

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

$306 CHF 241

$256 CHF 202

19.64%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.20

$48.18 CHF 37.98

11.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 46.40

$57.6 CHF 45.39

2.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 CHF 71.2

$86.8 CHF 68.4

4.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.51

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 17.91

$23.10 CHF 18.21

-1.65%

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

$2,574 CHF 2,029

$2,895 CHF 2,282

-11.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

$34.3K CHF 27.0K

-0.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 105

$135 CHF 106

-1.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.3 CHF 69.6

$67.1 CHF 52.9

31.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 CHF 143

$149 CHF 117

21.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 179

$189 CHF 149

19.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CHF 1,665

$1,727 CHF 1,361

22.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 CHF 1,197

$1,468 CHF 1,158

3.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 CHF 3,018

$2,854 CHF 2,250

34.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,209

$2,430 CHF 1,916

15.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.0K

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

34.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

$10.3K CHF 8,125

38.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,537

$5,646 CHF 4,451

46.88%

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 Glattfelden: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Basel and $1,727 in Glattfelden. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 47% 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 $144 in Glattfelden for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $661 per month, with Glattfelden 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 Glattfelden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Glattfelden wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Glattfelden the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Basel pays 47% 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 $1,727 in Glattfelden. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Basel versus $2,895 in Glattfelden. 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 $2,000. Glattfelden 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 Glattfelden delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,489 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Glattfelden hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Glattfelden 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 Glattfelden gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.