Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Liestal Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Liestal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,662 in Basel versus $3,484 in Liestal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,770 in Basel versus $5,412 in Liestal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,878 in Basel versus $7,339 in Liestal.

Living in Basel is roughly 5% more expensive than Liestal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 175% above, Liestal 161% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.78 CHF 24.41

$28.21 CHF 22.37

9.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$151 CHF 120

$107 CHF 85.1

41.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.10 CHF 15.94

$19.69 CHF 15.62

2.08%

Cappuccino

$7.02 CHF 5.57

$5.73 CHF 4.54

22.51%

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

$5.74 CHF 4.55

$4.74 CHF 3.76

21.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CHF 4.15

$4.84 CHF 3.84

8.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.01 CHF 7.94

$8.50 CHF 6.74

17.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 CHF 5.89

$6.06 CHF 4.80

22.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.71

$2.17 CHF 1.72

-0.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.96

$3.31 CHF 2.62

12.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.90 CHF 3.89

$5.12 CHF 4.06

-4.30%

Eggs

$7.76 CHF 6.15

$7.79 CHF 6.18

-0.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.65 CHF 22.72

$27.79 CHF 22.04

3.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.21 CHF 29.51

$35.99 CHF 28.54

3.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.04 CHF 34.93

$40.56 CHF 32.17

8.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 CHF 3.10

$3.82 CHF 3.03

2.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 CHF 2.10

$2.71 CHF 2.15

-2.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 CHF 3.21

$2.97 CHF 2.36

36.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.08 CHF 5.62

$6.88 CHF 5.45

2.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 CHF 2.61

$3.25 CHF 2.58

1.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.34

$2.94 CHF 2.33

0.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.00

$2.62 CHF 2.08

-3.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.23

$1.19 CHF 0.95

30.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.89 CHF 9.43

$11.40 CHF 9.04

4.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 CHF 11.05

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.92

$1.95 CHF 1.55

24.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CHF 2.43

$2.26 CHF 1.79

35.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.77 CHF 3.79

$3.65 CHF 2.89

30.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 83.0

$68.6 CHF 54.4

52.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.85 CHF 6.22

$7.90 CHF 6.27

-0.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.39

$4.27 CHF 3.38

0.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.9 CHF 68.1

$93.4 CHF 74.0

-7.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$2.17 CHF 1.72

3.23%

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

$40.4K CHF 32.1K

$40.8K CHF 32.3K

-0.90%

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

$45.6K CHF 36.2K

$49.0K CHF 38.9K

-6.88%

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

$302 CHF 240

$379 CHF 301

-20.32%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.47

$54.4 CHF 43.11

-1.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 CHF 46.62

$59.7 CHF 47.36

-1.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.0 CHF 72.2

$86.2 CHF 68.4

5.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.16 CHF 33.44

$60.5 CHF 47.99

-30.31%

Cinema Ticket

$22.71 CHF 18.01

$24.86 CHF 19.72

-8.65%

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

$2,604 CHF 2,065

$2,565 CHF 2,035

1.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 27.5K

$34.9K CHF 27.7K

-0.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 105

$131 CHF 104

1.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.7 CHF 71.1

$67.8 CHF 53.8

32.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 CHF 142

$179 CHF 142

0.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$231 CHF 183

$232 CHF 184

-0.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 CHF 1,642

$1,487 CHF 1,179

39.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,499 CHF 1,189

$1,301 CHF 1,032

15.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,839 CHF 3,045

$2,422 CHF 1,921

58.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,849 CHF 2,260

$2,630 CHF 2,086

8.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.1K CHF 15.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.1K CHF 12.0K

$8,500 CHF 6,741

78.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,059 CHF 6,392

$9,543 CHF 7,568

-15.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

2.52

1.19%

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

Last update for Basel: June 13, 2026

Last update for Liestal: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,070 in Basel and $1,487 in Liestal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Liestal pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $151 in Basel vs $107 in Liestal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $691 vs $656 per month, with Liestal 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 Liestal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, Liestal earns 18% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,070 in Basel versus $1,487 in Liestal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,604 in Basel versus $2,565 in Liestal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% 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. Liestal 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 Liestal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,484 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Liestal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Liestal 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 Liestal 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.