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: $3,741 in Basel versus $3,442 in Liestal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,905 in Basel versus $5,420 in Liestal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,069 in Basel versus $7,398 in Liestal.

Living in Basel is roughly 9% more expensive than Liestal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 179% above, Liestal 157% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.45 CHF 24.09

$27.63 CHF 21.86

10.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$152 CHF 121

$106 CHF 83.6

44.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.99 CHF 15.81

$19.54 CHF 15.46

2.30%

Cappuccino

$6.65 CHF 5.26

$5.66 CHF 4.48

17.49%

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

$5.68 CHF 4.50

$4.99 CHF 3.95

13.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CHF 4.14

$4.66 CHF 3.68

12.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.58 CHF 7.57

$8.28 CHF 6.55

15.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 CHF 6.04

$6.30 CHF 4.98

21.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.75

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 CHF 3.03

$3.35 CHF 2.65

14.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 CHF 4.10

$4.99 CHF 3.95

3.81%

Eggs

$8.09 CHF 6.40

$7.88 CHF 6.23

2.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.36 CHF 22.43

$28.01 CHF 22.16

1.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.13 CHF 29.37

$34.87 CHF 27.58

6.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.06 CHF 34.85

$41.46 CHF 32.80

6.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 CHF 3.02

$3.85 CHF 3.05

-1.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 CHF 2.11

$2.61 CHF 2.06

2.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.29

$2.93 CHF 2.31

41.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.53

$6.80 CHF 5.38

2.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 CHF 2.57

$3.28 CHF 2.60

-1.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.34

$2.87 CHF 2.27

3.14%

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

$11.51 CHF 9.11

1.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 CHF 11.94

$15.21 CHF 12.03

-0.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$1.92 CHF 1.52

22.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CHF 2.41

$2.32 CHF 1.83

31.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 CHF 3.60

$3.59 CHF 2.84

26.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.9

$68.8 CHF 54.4

52.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 CHF 6.29

$7.92 CHF 6.26

0.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.38

$4.32 CHF 3.42

-0.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.8 CHF 67.8

$93.8 CHF 74.2

-8.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.78

$2.17 CHF 1.71

3.23%

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

$39.6K CHF 31.3K

$40.3K CHF 31.9K

-1.62%

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

$44.8K CHF 35.4K

$49.6K CHF 39.2K

-9.69%

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

$309 CHF 244

$377 CHF 298

-18.01%

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

$53.1 CHF 42.03

$53.4 CHF 42.22

-0.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 CHF 47.79

$59.9 CHF 47.39

0.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.0 CHF 72.0

$87.8 CHF 69.4

3.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.48 CHF 33.60

$61.5 CHF 48.68

-30.97%

Cinema Ticket

$23.06 CHF 18.24

$25.03 CHF 19.80

-7.87%

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

$2,609 CHF 2,064

$2,575 CHF 2,037

1.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K CHF 27.5K

$34.9K CHF 27.6K

-0.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 105

$132 CHF 104

0.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.1 CHF 68.9

$68.7 CHF 54.4

26.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 138

$173 CHF 137

0.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$231 CHF 182

$234 CHF 185

-1.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 CHF 1,682

$1,457 CHF 1,153

45.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 CHF 1,157

$1,336 CHF 1,057

9.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,757 CHF 2,971

$2,427 CHF 1,920

54.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,789 CHF 2,206

$2,603 CHF 2,059

7.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.9K CHF 14.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.3K CHF 10.5K

$8,447 CHF 6,681

57.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,988 CHF 6,318

$9,838 CHF 7,782

-18.81%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Liestal: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,126 in Basel and $1,457 in Liestal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Liestal pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $152 in Basel vs $106 in Liestal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $696 vs $657 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 9% 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 23% 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: $2,126 in Basel versus $1,457 in Liestal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,609 in Basel versus $2,575 in Liestal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% 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 $3,442 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 9% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.