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: $3,610 in Basel versus $3,525 in Kreuzlingen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,659 in Basel versus $5,542 in Kreuzlingen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,707 in Basel versus $7,559 in Kreuzlingen.

Living in Basel is roughly 2% more expensive than in Kreuzlingen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 164% above, Kreuzlingen 158% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 CHF 25.36

$35.12 CHF 28.86

-12.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 103

$176 CHF 145

-28.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.50 CHF 15.21

$24.69 CHF 20.29

-25.07%

Cappuccino

$6.72 CHF 5.52

$7.45 CHF 6.13

-9.80%

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

$6.38 CHF 5.24

$6.23 CHF 5.12

2.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 CHF 4.77

$6.28 CHF 5.16

-7.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.89

$10.13 CHF 8.32

-5.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.74 CHF 8.00

$7.68 CHF 6.31

26.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.85

$2.31 CHF 1.90

-2.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 CHF 2.48

$4.17 CHF 3.43

-27.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 CHF 2.75

$4.40 CHF 3.62

-24.09%

Eggs

$8.26 CHF 6.79

$8.18 CHF 6.72

0.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.04 CHF 21.40

$18.79 CHF 15.44

38.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.62 CHF 22.70

$26.94 CHF 22.14

2.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.64 CHF 34.22

$31.30 CHF 25.73

33.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.92

$3.77 CHF 3.10

-5.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.87

$2.09 CHF 1.71

8.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.42

$2.87 CHF 2.36

2.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 CHF 3.81

$5.39 CHF 4.43

-14.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 CHF 1.45

$2.01 CHF 1.66

-11.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.65

$2.16 CHF 1.77

-7.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 CHF 1.80

$2.44 CHF 2.01

-10.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CHF 1.31

$1.41 CHF 1.16

12.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.43 CHF 9.39

$11.34 CHF 9.32

0.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 CHF 9.96

$18.28 CHF 15.02

-33.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CHF 2.07

$3.06 CHF 2.51

-17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CHF 2.49

$4.10 CHF 3.37

-26.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 CHF 3.76

$4.43 CHF 3.64

3.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 87.2

$103 CHF 84.7

2.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 CHF 6.49

$8.60 CHF 7.07

-8.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.58 CHF 3.77

$4.90 CHF 4.02

-6.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.3 CHF 71.0

$107 CHF 87.7

-19.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$2.16 CHF 1.77

4.63%

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

$43.2K CHF 35.5K

-0.04%

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

$40.5K CHF 33.3K

$39.7K CHF 32.6K

2.13%

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

$295 CHF 243

$231 CHF 190

27.66%

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

$53.7 CHF 44.17

$41.33 CHF 33.97

30.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 CHF 52.7

$61.5 CHF 50.5

4.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.3 CHF 69.2

$92.6 CHF 76.1

-9.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.7 CHF 47.40

$46.09 CHF 37.88

25.15%

Cinema Ticket

$23.28 CHF 19.13

$24.06 CHF 19.77

-3.24%

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

$3,047 CHF 2,504

$4,361 CHF 3,584

-30.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.4K

$36.3K CHF 29.8K

-8.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 119

$170 CHF 140

-14.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.2 CHF 65.9

$69.9 CHF 57.4

14.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 CHF 133

$157 CHF 129

3.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 163

$187 CHF 153

6.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 CHF 1,720

$1,727 CHF 1,420

21.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 CHF 1,264

$1,482 CHF 1,218

3.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,533 CHF 2,904

$4,019 CHF 3,303

-12.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 CHF 2,318

$2,492 CHF 2,048

13.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 15.0K

$16.2K CHF 13.3K

12.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.7K CHF 12.1K

$12.3K CHF 10.1K

19.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,077 CHF 5,816

$6,364 CHF 5,230

11.21%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kreuzlingen: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,093 in Basel and $1,727 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: $126 in Basel vs $176 in Kreuzlingen. Groceries flip the comparison at $587 vs $567, with Kreuzlingen cheaper for home cooking.

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 2% 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: $2,093 in Basel versus $1,727 in Kreuzlingen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,047 in Basel versus $4,361 in Kreuzlingen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% 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 $3,525 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 2% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.