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: $3,606 in Basel versus $3,553 in Kriens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,819 in Basel versus $5,507 in Kriens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,033 in Basel versus $7,461 in Kriens.

Living in Basel is roughly 1% more expensive than in Kriens, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 170% above, Kriens 166% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.16 CHF 25.19

$31.36 CHF 25.35

-0.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 125

$156 CHF 126

-1.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.41 CHF 15.69

$18.93 CHF 15.30

2.54%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.44

$6.89 CHF 5.57

-2.32%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.42

$5.76 CHF 4.65

-5.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 CHF 4.21

$5.05 CHF 4.08

3.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 CHF 7.80

$9.64 CHF 7.79

0.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 CHF 5.91

$7.35 CHF 5.95

-0.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.79

$2.16 CHF 1.74

2.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 CHF 3.13

$3.83 CHF 3.09

1.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.19 CHF 4.19

$5.15 CHF 4.17

0.78%

Eggs

$7.82 CHF 6.33

$8.05 CHF 6.50

-2.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.51 CHF 23.05

$28.97 CHF 23.42

-1.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.76 CHF 29.72

$35.94 CHF 29.06

2.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.22 CHF 35.75

$43.69 CHF 35.32

1.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CHF 3.16

$3.78 CHF 3.06

3.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.21

$2.07 CHF 1.67

32.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CHF 3.38

$2.73 CHF 2.21

53.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.65

$6.81 CHF 5.50

2.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.64

$2.30 CHF 1.86

41.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.41

$2.45 CHF 1.98

21.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.04

$2.63 CHF 2.12

-4.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$1.49 CHF 1.20

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 CHF 9.56

$10.54 CHF 8.52

12.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 CHF 11.06

$10.29 CHF 8.32

32.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.96

$2.41 CHF 1.95

0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.46

$3.17 CHF 2.56

-4.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 CHF 3.85

$3.79 CHF 3.07

25.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 85.0

$98.5 CHF 79.6

6.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 CHF 6.41

$7.92 CHF 6.40

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.36 CHF 3.52

$4.28 CHF 3.46

1.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 70.7

$86.0 CHF 69.5

1.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$2.21 CHF 1.79

-0.45%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

$40.2K CHF 32.5K

1.44%

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

$45.1K CHF 36.5K

$42.9K CHF 34.7K

5.27%

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

$302 CHF 244

$299 CHF 242

1.06%

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

$54.0 CHF 43.66

$54.0 CHF 43.65

0.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 47.60

$58.1 CHF 47.01

1.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.9 CHF 73.5

$89.6 CHF 72.5

1.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.38 CHF 33.46

Cinema Ticket

$23.17 CHF 18.73

$23.10 CHF 18.67

0.30%

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

$2,533 CHF 2,048

$2,566 CHF 2,074

-1.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

$35.1K CHF 28.4K

-3.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$108 CHF 87.1

25.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.6 CHF 70.9

$53.9 CHF 43.56

62.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 CHF 145

$152 CHF 123

18.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$230 CHF 186

$186 CHF 151

23.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 CHF 1,701

$1,695 CHF 1,370

24.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 CHF 1,222

$1,476 CHF 1,193

2.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,742 CHF 3,025

$2,822 CHF 2,281

32.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 CHF 2,288

$2,469 CHF 1,996

14.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

$14.4K CHF 11.6K

30.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

$12.4K CHF 9,992

17.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,175 CHF 5,801

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 Kriens: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,103 in Basel and $1,695 in Kriens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $154 in Basel vs $156 in Kriens. Groceries flip the comparison at $692 vs $666, with Kriens 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 Kriens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kriens wins on cost – living expenses run 1% 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 $5,409 in Basel and $5,330 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: $2,103 in Basel versus $1,695 in Kriens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,533 in Basel versus $2,566 in Kriens. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% 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 $3,553 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 1% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.