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: $3,741 in Basel versus $3,390 in Kreuzlingen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,905 in Basel versus $5,235 in Kreuzlingen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,069 in Basel versus $7,080 in Kreuzlingen.

Living in Basel is roughly 10% more expensive than Kreuzlingen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 179% above, Kreuzlingen 153% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.45 CHF 24.09

$37.13 CHF 29.37

-17.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$152 CHF 121

$143 CHF 113

6.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.99 CHF 15.81

$16.30 CHF 12.90

22.64%

Cappuccino

$6.65 CHF 5.26

$6.68 CHF 5.28

-0.45%

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

$5.68 CHF 4.50

$5.34 CHF 4.22

6.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CHF 4.14

$4.38 CHF 3.46

19.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.58 CHF 7.57

$8.75 CHF 6.92

9.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 CHF 6.04

$7.34 CHF 5.81

4.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.75

$2.30 CHF 1.82

-3.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 CHF 3.03

$3.72 CHF 2.94

2.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 CHF 4.10

$4.11 CHF 3.25

26.03%

Eggs

$8.09 CHF 6.40

$8.00 CHF 6.33

1.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.36 CHF 22.43

$18.50 CHF 14.63

53.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.13 CHF 29.37

$26.99 CHF 21.35

37.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.06 CHF 34.85

$30.39 CHF 24.04

44.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 CHF 3.02

$3.74 CHF 2.96

1.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 CHF 2.11

$2.32 CHF 1.83

15.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.29

$3.00 CHF 2.37

38.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.53

$6.18 CHF 4.89

13.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 CHF 2.57

$2.50 CHF 1.98

29.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.34

$2.51 CHF 1.99

17.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CHF 2.00

$2.66 CHF 2.10

-4.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CHF 1.24

$1.26 CHF 1.00

24.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.73 CHF 9.28

$11.19 CHF 8.85

4.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 CHF 11.94

$13.77 CHF 10.89

9.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$2.41 CHF 1.91

-2.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CHF 2.41

$3.36 CHF 2.66

-9.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 CHF 3.60

$4.00 CHF 3.16

13.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.9

$97.8 CHF 77.4

7.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 CHF 6.29

$8.25 CHF 6.52

-3.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.38

$4.47 CHF 3.54

-4.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.8 CHF 67.8

$89.5 CHF 70.8

-4.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.78

$2.06 CHF 1.63

8.74%

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

$39.6K CHF 31.3K

$40.2K CHF 31.8K

-1.32%

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

$44.8K CHF 35.4K

$43.2K CHF 34.1K

3.77%

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

$309 CHF 244

$249 CHF 197

24.03%

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

$53.1 CHF 42.03

$60.7 CHF 47.98

-12.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 CHF 47.79

$55.4 CHF 43.82

9.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.0 CHF 72.0

$86.5 CHF 68.4

5.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.48 CHF 33.60

Cinema Ticket

$23.06 CHF 18.24

$21.78 CHF 17.23

5.88%

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

$2,609 CHF 2,064

$2,868 CHF 2,268

-9.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K CHF 27.5K

$42.5K CHF 33.6K

-18.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 105

$141 CHF 112

-5.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.1 CHF 68.9

$76.3 CHF 60.4

14.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 138

$133 CHF 105

31.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$231 CHF 182

$158 CHF 125

45.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 CHF 1,682

$1,702 CHF 1,346

24.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 CHF 1,157

$1,453 CHF 1,149

0.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,757 CHF 2,971

$2,839 CHF 2,246

32.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,789 CHF 2,206

$2,484 CHF 1,965

12.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.9K CHF 14.2K

$15.2K CHF 12.0K

18.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.3K CHF 10.5K

$10.5K CHF 8,314

26.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,988 CHF 6,318

$6,702 CHF 5,302

19.17%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Kreuzlingen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,126 in Basel and $1,702 in Kreuzlingen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 19% 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: $152 in Basel vs $143 in Kreuzlingen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $696 vs $550 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 10% 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.

Basel pays 19% 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: $2,126 in Basel versus $1,702 in Kreuzlingen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,609 in Basel versus $2,868 in Kreuzlingen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% 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 $3,390 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 10% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.