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: $3,610 in Basel versus $3,388 in Liestal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,659 in Basel versus $5,304 in Liestal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,707 in Basel versus $7,220 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 164% above, Liestal 148% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 CHF 25.48

$28.71 CHF 23.70

7.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 104

$122 CHF 101

2.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.50 CHF 15.27

$18.47 CHF 15.24

0.16%

Cappuccino

$6.72 CHF 5.54

$6.42 CHF 5.30

4.67%

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

$6.38 CHF 5.27

$6.27 CHF 5.18

1.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 CHF 4.79

$6.03 CHF 4.98

-3.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.93

$9.02 CHF 7.44

6.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.74 CHF 8.04

$7.85 CHF 6.48

24.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.86

$2.17 CHF 1.79

3.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 CHF 2.49

$3.20 CHF 2.64

-5.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 CHF 2.76

$3.35 CHF 2.77

-0.30%

Eggs

$8.26 CHF 6.82

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.04 CHF 21.50

$24.99 CHF 20.63

4.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.62 CHF 22.80

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.64 CHF 34.37

$39.82 CHF 32.87

4.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.93

$3.76 CHF 3.11

-5.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.87

$2.29 CHF 1.89

-0.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.43

$2.74 CHF 2.26

7.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 CHF 3.82

$4.56 CHF 3.76

1.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 CHF 1.46

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.65

$2.11 CHF 1.74

-5.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 CHF 1.81

$2.28 CHF 1.89

-3.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CHF 1.31

$1.36 CHF 1.12

16.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.43 CHF 9.43

$11.45 CHF 9.45

-0.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 CHF 10.00

$12.49 CHF 10.31

-2.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CHF 2.08

$2.27 CHF 1.87

11.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CHF 2.50

$3.04 CHF 2.51

-0.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 CHF 3.77

$4.45 CHF 3.68

2.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 87.6

$102 CHF 83.8

4.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 CHF 6.52

$8.59 CHF 7.09

-8.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.58 CHF 3.78

$4.75 CHF 3.92

-3.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.3 CHF 71.3

$110 CHF 90.7

-21.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.87

$2.40 CHF 1.98

-5.83%

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

$43.2K CHF 35.6K

$44.3K CHF 36.6K

-2.58%

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

$40.5K CHF 33.4K

$40.4K CHF 33.3K

0.35%

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

$295 CHF 244

$300 CHF 248

-1.70%

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

$53.7 CHF 44.36

$28.56 CHF 23.57

88.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 CHF 53.0

$65.7 CHF 54.2

-2.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.3 CHF 69.5

$86.5 CHF 71.4

-2.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.7 CHF 47.61

$47.05 CHF 38.84

22.59%

Cinema Ticket

$23.28 CHF 19.21

$24.29 CHF 20.05

-4.16%

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

$3,047 CHF 2,515

$3,072 CHF 2,535

-0.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.5K

$31.8K CHF 26.2K

4.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 120

$143 CHF 118

1.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.2 CHF 66.2

$61.9 CHF 51.1

29.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 CHF 133

$162 CHF 134

-0.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 164

$206 CHF 170

-3.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 CHF 1,728

$1,716 CHF 1,416

22.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 CHF 1,269

$1,339 CHF 1,105

14.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,533 CHF 2,917

$2,874 CHF 2,372

22.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 CHF 2,328

$2,616 CHF 2,159

7.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 15.1K

$16.1K CHF 13.2K

13.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.7K CHF 12.1K

$12.5K CHF 10.3K

17.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,077 CHF 5,841

$9,426 CHF 7,781

-24.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

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

Last update for Basel: September 14, 2026

Last update for Liestal: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,093 in Basel and $1,716 in Liestal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Liestal pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $126 in Basel vs $122 in Liestal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $587 vs $576 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 33% 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: $2,093 in Basel versus $1,716 in Liestal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,047 in Basel versus $3,072 in Liestal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% 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 $3,388 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.