Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Muralto Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Muralto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,658 in Basel versus $3,542 in Muralto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,824 in Basel versus $5,313 in Muralto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,989 in Basel versus $7,083 in Muralto.

Living in Basel is roughly 3% more expensive than in Muralto, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 174% above, Muralto 165% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.22 CHF 24.71

$30.70 CHF 25.10

-1.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$157 CHF 128

$143 CHF 117

10.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.82 CHF 16.21

$18.38 CHF 15.03

7.83%

Cappuccino

$7.03 CHF 5.75

$6.18 CHF 5.05

13.75%

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

$5.60 CHF 4.58

$5.25 CHF 4.29

6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 CHF 4.18

$4.72 CHF 3.86

8.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.92 CHF 8.11

$8.48 CHF 6.93

16.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 CHF 6.24

$7.44 CHF 6.08

2.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.83

$2.15 CHF 1.76

3.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 3.05

$3.45 CHF 2.82

8.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 CHF 4.20

$4.04 CHF 3.30

26.98%

Eggs

$7.88 CHF 6.44

$7.59 CHF 6.20

3.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.25 CHF 23.91

$29.16 CHF 23.85

0.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.16 CHF 29.57

$32.98 CHF 26.97

9.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.71 CHF 35.74

$48.30 CHF 39.50

-9.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 CHF 3.16

$3.65 CHF 2.98

5.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 CHF 2.21

$2.30 CHF 1.88

17.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CHF 3.44

$3.02 CHF 2.47

39.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.92 CHF 5.66

$6.33 CHF 5.18

9.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 CHF 2.65

$2.47 CHF 2.02

31.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 CHF 2.33

$2.35 CHF 1.92

21.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CHF 2.13

$2.53 CHF 2.07

3.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.27

$1.32 CHF 1.08

17.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.90 CHF 9.73

$11.14 CHF 9.11

6.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.44 CHF 10.99

$14.03 CHF 11.47

-4.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 CHF 1.93

$2.46 CHF 2.01

-4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CHF 2.55

$3.26 CHF 2.67

-4.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.65 CHF 3.80

$3.81 CHF 3.12

22.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 CHF 87.6

$98.3 CHF 80.4

8.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.15 CHF 6.67

$7.94 CHF 6.49

2.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.16 CHF 3.40

$4.35 CHF 3.56

-4.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.0 CHF 71.1

$79.1 CHF 64.7

9.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.81

$2.23 CHF 1.83

-0.90%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.5K

$40.0K CHF 32.7K

-0.40%

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

$44.5K CHF 36.4K

$41.3K CHF 33.8K

7.58%

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

$302 CHF 247

$265 CHF 216

14.23%

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

$53.7 CHF 43.91

$49.10 CHF 40.15

9.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 CHF 48.35

$59.8 CHF 48.89

-1.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.8 CHF 72.6

$87.5 CHF 71.6

1.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.93 CHF 34.29

Cinema Ticket

$23.07 CHF 18.87

$22.83 CHF 18.67

1.05%

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

$2,621 CHF 2,143

$2,861 CHF 2,340

-8.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 28.3K

$35.3K CHF 28.9K

-1.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 111

$135 CHF 110

0.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.8 CHF 71.0

$68.4 CHF 56.0

26.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$179 CHF 146

$149 CHF 122

19.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 CHF 191

$189 CHF 154

23.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 CHF 1,692

$1,681 CHF 1,375

23.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 CHF 1,206

$1,444 CHF 1,181

2.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,823 CHF 3,126

$2,851 CHF 2,332

34.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,868 CHF 2,345

$2,511 CHF 2,053

14.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K CHF 14.8K

$16.2K CHF 13.2K

11.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.9K

$13.5K CHF 11.1K

7.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,233 CHF 5,914

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 20, 2026

Last update for Muralto: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,070 in Basel and $1,681 in Muralto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $157 in Basel vs $143 in Muralto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $688 vs $661 per month, with Muralto 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 Muralto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Muralto wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Muralto the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,487 in Basel and $5,313 in Muralto 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: $2,070 in Basel versus $1,681 in Muralto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,621 in Basel versus $2,861 in Muralto. 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 $3,000. Muralto 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 Muralto delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,542 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Muralto hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Muralto 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 Muralto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.