Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Kriens Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Kriens

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,653 in Basel versus $3,493 in Kriens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,857 in Basel versus $5,411 in Kriens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,062 in Basel versus $7,329 in Kriens.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 173% above, Kriens 161% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.72 CHF 24.22

$30.44 CHF 24.00

0.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$156 CHF 123

$155 CHF 122

0.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.37 CHF 15.27

$18.93 CHF 14.92

2.32%

Cappuccino

$6.75 CHF 5.32

$6.91 CHF 5.45

-2.32%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.47

$5.66 CHF 4.47

0.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 3.96

$5.00 CHF 3.94

0.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.95

$10.13 CHF 7.99

-0.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.87

$7.57 CHF 5.97

-1.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$2.14 CHF 1.68

4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.94

$3.91 CHF 3.08

-4.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.94

$4.99 CHF 3.93

Eggs

$8.16 CHF 6.44

$7.98 CHF 6.29

2.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 22.60

$28.87 CHF 22.76

-0.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.93 CHF 28.33

$35.96 CHF 28.35

-0.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.12 CHF 34.00

$43.52 CHF 34.31

-0.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.14

$3.79 CHF 2.99

5.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.05

$2.09 CHF 1.65

24.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.35

$2.83 CHF 2.23

49.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.49

$6.86 CHF 5.41

1.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$2.26 CHF 1.78

42.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$2.54 CHF 2.00

15.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$2.52 CHF 1.99

-0.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$1.57 CHF 1.23

-1.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 CHF 9.21

$10.37 CHF 8.18

12.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 10.89

$10.85 CHF 8.55

27.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.88

$2.42 CHF 1.91

-1.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.49

$3.00 CHF 2.36

5.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.61

$3.86 CHF 3.04

18.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.4

$100 CHF 78.8

4.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.30

$7.78 CHF 6.13

2.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.40

$4.21 CHF 3.32

2.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.8

$86.7 CHF 68.3

0.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.75

$2.15 CHF 1.69

3.72%

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

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

$40.6K CHF 32.0K

-0.57%

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

$44.3K CHF 34.9K

$41.5K CHF 32.7K

6.78%

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

$306 CHF 241

$298 CHF 235

2.70%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.20

$54.9 CHF 43.26

-2.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 46.40

$58.9 CHF 46.45

-0.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 CHF 71.2

$88.9 CHF 70.1

1.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.51

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 17.91

$22.62 CHF 17.83

0.44%

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

$2,574 CHF 2,029

$2,573 CHF 2,029

0.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

$34.7K CHF 27.3K

-1.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 105

$108 CHF 85.3

23.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.3 CHF 69.6

$53.7 CHF 42.37

64.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 CHF 143

$154 CHF 122

17.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 179

$187 CHF 148

21.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CHF 1,665

$1,677 CHF 1,322

25.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 CHF 1,197

$1,484 CHF 1,170

2.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 CHF 3,018

$2,778 CHF 2,190

37.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,209

$2,436 CHF 1,921

15.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.0K

$13.8K CHF 10.9K

38.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

$11.6K CHF 9,139

22.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,537

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 Kriens: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Basel and $1,677 in Kriens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $156 in Basel vs $155 in Kriens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $667 per month, with Kriens 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 Kriens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $5,479 in Basel and $5,239 in Kriens to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Basel versus $1,677 in Kriens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Basel versus $2,573 in Kriens. 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 $2,000. Kriens 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 Kriens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,493 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kriens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Kriens 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 Kriens 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.