Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Kreuzlingen Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Kreuzlingen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,725 in Basel versus $3,431 in Kreuzlingen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,789 in Basel versus $5,245 in Kreuzlingen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,853 in Basel versus $7,060 in Kreuzlingen.

Living in Basel is roughly 9% more expensive than in Kreuzlingen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 180% above, Kreuzlingen 158% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.73 CHF 24.09

$35.44 CHF 28.72

-16.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$129 CHF 104

$172 CHF 140

-25.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.79 CHF 15.22

$24.82 CHF 20.11

-24.29%

Cappuccino

$6.41 CHF 5.19

$7.48 CHF 6.06

-14.30%

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

$6.30 CHF 5.10

$6.33 CHF 5.13

-0.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 CHF 4.78

$6.05 CHF 4.90

-2.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.39 CHF 7.61

$10.15 CHF 8.23

-7.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.62 CHF 7.79

$7.89 CHF 6.39

21.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.87

$2.32 CHF 1.88

-0.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 CHF 2.75

$4.09 CHF 3.31

-16.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 CHF 2.71

$4.20 CHF 3.40

-20.48%

Eggs

$7.89 CHF 6.39

$7.96 CHF 6.45

-0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.23 CHF 21.25

$18.79 CHF 15.23

39.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.17 CHF 22.83

$27.28 CHF 22.11

3.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.07 CHF 34.09

$31.06 CHF 25.17

35.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CHF 3.03

$3.64 CHF 2.95

2.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 CHF 1.91

$1.98 CHF 1.60

19.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 CHF 2.53

$2.86 CHF 2.32

9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 CHF 3.89

$5.44 CHF 4.41

-11.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 CHF 1.33

$1.99 CHF 1.61

-17.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 CHF 1.58

$2.23 CHF 1.81

-12.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 CHF 1.81

$2.45 CHF 1.98

-8.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 CHF 1.30

$1.33 CHF 1.08

21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.41 CHF 9.24

$11.26 CHF 9.13

1.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.37 CHF 10.84

$18.78 CHF 15.21

-28.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CHF 2.02

$3.05 CHF 2.47

-18.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.58

$3.92 CHF 3.18

-18.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 CHF 3.78

$4.00 CHF 3.24

16.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 85.2

$114 CHF 92.2

-7.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 CHF 6.39

$8.73 CHF 7.07

-9.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.71 CHF 3.81

$5.07 CHF 4.11

-7.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.1 CHF 70.6

$106 CHF 85.5

-17.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.85

$2.04 CHF 1.66

11.76%

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

$43.6K CHF 35.3K

$43.7K CHF 35.4K

-0.21%

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

$40.7K CHF 33.0K

$40.0K CHF 32.4K

1.79%

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

$296 CHF 240

$235 CHF 190

26.40%

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

$54.3 CHF 44.02

$40.83 CHF 33.08

33.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.5 CHF 53.1

$61.4 CHF 49.71

6.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.6 CHF 67.8

$93.6 CHF 75.8

-10.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.9 CHF 47.73

$53.4 CHF 43.26

10.32%

Cinema Ticket

$23.53 CHF 19.06

$24.51 CHF 19.86

-4.00%

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

$3,076 CHF 2,492

$4,088 CHF 3,313

-24.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.0K

$35.8K CHF 29.0K

-6.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 119

$166 CHF 135

-11.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.5 CHF 64.4

$65.6 CHF 53.1

21.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$163 CHF 132

$154 CHF 125

5.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 CHF 164

$188 CHF 153

7.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,201 CHF 1,784

$1,775 CHF 1,439

23.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,499 CHF 1,214

$1,475 CHF 1,195

1.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,539 CHF 2,867

$4,043 CHF 3,276

-12.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,840 CHF 2,301

$2,500 CHF 2,026

13.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 14.9K

$13.8K CHF 11.1K

33.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.8K CHF 12.0K

$10.5K CHF 8,540

40.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,107 CHF 5,759

$6,441 CHF 5,219

10.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

1.9

27.89%

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

Last update for Basel: August 3, 2026

Last update for Kreuzlingen: August 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,105 in Basel and $1,672 in Kreuzlingen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 11% 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 $142 in Kreuzlingen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $689 vs $562 per month, with Kreuzlingen 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 Kreuzlingen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kreuzlingen wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kreuzlingen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 11% 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: $2,105 in Basel versus $1,672 in Kreuzlingen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,538 in Basel versus $2,883 in Kreuzlingen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% 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. Kreuzlingen 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 Kreuzlingen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,431 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kreuzlingen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Kreuzlingen 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 Kreuzlingen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.