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: $3,725 in Basel versus $3,487 in Liestal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,789 in Basel versus $5,348 in Liestal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,853 in Basel versus $7,209 in Liestal.

Living in Basel is roughly 7% more expensive than in Liestal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 180% above, Liestal 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.01 CHF 25.03

$28.26 CHF 22.81

9.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 124

$106 CHF 85.3

45.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.45 CHF 15.69

$19.44 CHF 15.68

0.05%

Cappuccino

$6.66 CHF 5.38

$5.72 CHF 4.62

16.43%

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

$5.74 CHF 4.63

$4.82 CHF 3.89

19.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CHF 4.04

$4.77 CHF 3.85

4.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.58 CHF 7.73

$8.26 CHF 6.66

15.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.70 CHF 6.21

$6.09 CHF 4.92

26.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.79

$2.25 CHF 1.82

-1.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 CHF 3.02

$3.39 CHF 2.73

10.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.00 CHF 4.04

$5.20 CHF 4.19

-3.85%

Eggs

$7.91 CHF 6.39

$7.93 CHF 6.40

-0.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.24 CHF 23.60

$28.35 CHF 22.87

3.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.30 CHF 30.10

$35.74 CHF 28.84

4.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.14 CHF 34.81

$40.42 CHF 32.62

6.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 CHF 3.10

$3.82 CHF 3.08

0.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.10

$2.73 CHF 2.21

-4.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 CHF 3.27

$3.03 CHF 2.44

33.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.86 CHF 5.54

$6.93 CHF 5.59

-1.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 CHF 2.60

$3.29 CHF 2.65

-2.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CHF 2.29

$2.97 CHF 2.39

-4.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CHF 2.12

$2.61 CHF 2.11

0.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.20

$1.26 CHF 1.02

18.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 CHF 9.33

$11.52 CHF 9.30

0.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.33 CHF 10.76

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CHF 1.89

$1.88 CHF 1.52

24.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.45

$2.31 CHF 1.86

31.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 CHF 3.68

$3.67 CHF 2.97

24.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 86.8

$67.5 CHF 54.4

59.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.05 CHF 6.50

$8.23 CHF 6.64

-2.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.19 CHF 3.38

$4.27 CHF 3.44

-1.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.8 CHF 69.2

$91.8 CHF 74.1

-6.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.77

$2.15 CHF 1.73

1.86%

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

$40.7K CHF 32.8K

$40.9K CHF 33.0K

-0.52%

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

$44.9K CHF 36.2K

$48.5K CHF 39.1K

-7.35%

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

$303 CHF 245

$365 CHF 294

-16.95%

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

$53.2 CHF 42.90

$53.8 CHF 43.43

-1.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 CHF 47.23

$59.4 CHF 47.96

-1.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.7 CHF 73.2

$87.0 CHF 70.2

4.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.34 CHF 34.17

$46.14 CHF 37.23

-8.24%

Cinema Ticket

$22.39 CHF 18.07

$24.83 CHF 20.04

-9.83%

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

$2,538 CHF 2,048

$2,628 CHF 2,121

-3.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K CHF 27.8K

$34.7K CHF 28.0K

-0.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 109

$132 CHF 106

2.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.2 CHF 71.9

$68.2 CHF 55.1

30.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$175 CHF 141

$177 CHF 143

-1.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 183

$226 CHF 182

0.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 CHF 1,699

$1,452 CHF 1,172

44.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 CHF 1,209

$1,311 CHF 1,058

14.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,749 CHF 3,025

$2,430 CHF 1,961

54.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,888 CHF 2,331

$2,657 CHF 2,144

8.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K CHF 14.8K

$15.3K CHF 12.3K

19.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.3K CHF 11.5K

$12.4K CHF 10.0K

15.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,099 CHF 5,729

$9,201 CHF 7,426

-22.85%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Liestal: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,105 in Basel and $1,452 in Liestal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Liestal pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $154 in Basel vs $106 in Liestal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $689 vs $658 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 7% 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, salaries run 30% lower in Liestal. 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: $2,105 in Basel versus $1,452 in Liestal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,538 in Basel versus $2,628 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 $3,487 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 7% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.