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: $3,606 in Basel versus $3,512 in Glattfelden.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,819 in Basel versus $5,308 in Glattfelden.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,033 in Basel versus $7,104 in Glattfelden.

Living in Basel is roughly 3% more expensive than in Glattfelden, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 170% above, Glattfelden 163% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.16 CHF 25.24

$30.55 CHF 24.74

2.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 125

$144 CHF 117

6.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.41 CHF 15.72

$18.34 CHF 14.86

5.83%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.45

$6.14 CHF 4.97

9.61%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.43

$5.32 CHF 4.31

2.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 CHF 4.22

$4.72 CHF 3.82

10.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 CHF 7.82

$8.39 CHF 6.80

15.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 CHF 5.92

$7.28 CHF 5.90

0.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.79

$2.18 CHF 1.77

1.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 CHF 3.14

$3.44 CHF 2.78

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.19 CHF 4.20

$4.09 CHF 3.31

26.89%

Eggs

$7.82 CHF 6.34

$7.46 CHF 6.05

4.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.51 CHF 23.09

$28.86 CHF 23.37

-1.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.76 CHF 29.78

$33.63 CHF 27.24

9.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.22 CHF 35.82

$47.56 CHF 38.53

-7.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CHF 3.16

$3.70 CHF 3.00

5.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.22

$2.30 CHF 1.86

19.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CHF 3.38

$2.87 CHF 2.33

45.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.66

$6.36 CHF 5.16

9.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.64

$2.41 CHF 1.95

35.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.41

$2.41 CHF 1.95

23.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.04

$2.50 CHF 2.02

0.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$1.32 CHF 1.07

12.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 CHF 9.58

$11.21 CHF 9.08

5.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 CHF 11.08

$12.36 CHF 10.01

10.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.96

$2.35 CHF 1.90

2.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.46

$3.23 CHF 2.62

-5.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 CHF 3.86

$3.88 CHF 3.14

22.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 85.1

$98.6 CHF 79.9

6.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 CHF 6.42

$7.80 CHF 6.32

1.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.36 CHF 3.53

$4.29 CHF 3.47

1.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 70.8

$81.0 CHF 65.6

7.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$2.13 CHF 1.73

3.29%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

$40.1K CHF 32.4K

1.83%

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

$45.1K CHF 36.6K

$41.8K CHF 33.9K

7.89%

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

$302 CHF 245

$256 CHF 207

18.24%

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

$54.0 CHF 43.74

$48.95 CHF 39.65

10.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 47.69

$59.5 CHF 48.20

-1.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.9 CHF 73.6

$86.8 CHF 70.3

4.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.38 CHF 33.52

Cinema Ticket

$23.17 CHF 18.77

$23.06 CHF 18.68

0.48%

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

$2,533 CHF 2,052

$2,909 CHF 2,356

-12.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

$34.2K CHF 27.7K

-1.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$137 CHF 111

-1.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.6 CHF 71.0

$68.4 CHF 55.4

28.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 CHF 146

$147 CHF 119

22.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$230 CHF 186

$188 CHF 153

22.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 CHF 1,704

$1,668 CHF 1,351

26.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 CHF 1,224

$1,495 CHF 1,211

1.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,742 CHF 3,031

$2,844 CHF 2,303

31.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 CHF 2,292

$2,483 CHF 2,011

13.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

$17.9K CHF 14.5K

4.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

$11.5K CHF 9,307

26.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,175 CHF 5,812

$5,456 CHF 4,420

31.51%

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 Glattfelden: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Basel pays 32% 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 $144 in Glattfelden for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $692 vs $656 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 3% 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.

Average pay runs 32% 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 $1,668 in Glattfelden. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,533 in Basel versus $2,909 in Glattfelden. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% 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 $3,512 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 3% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.