Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Rapperswil Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Rapperswil

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,662 in Basel versus $3,333 in Rapperswil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,770 in Basel versus $4,926 in Rapperswil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,878 in Basel versus $6,519 in Rapperswil.

Living in Basel is roughly 10% more expensive than in Rapperswil, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 175% above, Rapperswil 150% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.78 CHF 24.77

$30.94 CHF 24.90

-0.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$151 CHF 122

$115 CHF 92.9

31.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.10 CHF 16.18

$18.48 CHF 14.88

8.77%

Cappuccino

$7.02 CHF 5.65

$5.64 CHF 4.54

24.47%

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

$5.74 CHF 4.62

$5.70 CHF 4.59

0.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CHF 4.21

$5.03 CHF 4.05

3.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.01 CHF 8.05

$7.39 CHF 5.95

35.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 CHF 5.98

$6.04 CHF 4.86

23.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.74

$1.15 CHF 0.93

87.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 3.00

$1.13 CHF 0.91

230.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.90 CHF 3.94

$2.49 CHF 2.00

96.79%

Eggs

$7.76 CHF 6.24

$3.59 CHF 2.89

116.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.65 CHF 23.06

$27.47 CHF 22.11

4.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.21 CHF 29.95

$33.01 CHF 26.57

12.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.04 CHF 35.45

$37.70 CHF 30.34

16.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 CHF 3.14

$2.42 CHF 1.94

61.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 CHF 2.13

$1.90 CHF 1.53

39.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 CHF 3.26

$2.49 CHF 2.01

62.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.08 CHF 5.70

$2.47 CHF 1.99

186.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 CHF 2.65

$1.81 CHF 1.46

81.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.38

$1.82 CHF 1.47

62.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.03

$2.49 CHF 2.00

1.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.25

$0.60 CHF 0.48

158.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.89 CHF 9.57

$10.98 CHF 8.84

8.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 CHF 11.21

$11.75 CHF 9.46

18.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.95

$0.87 CHF 0.70

178.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CHF 2.46

$2.30 CHF 1.85

33.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.77 CHF 3.84

$3.86 CHF 3.11

23.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 84.2

$100 CHF 80.7

4.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.85 CHF 6.32

$6.79 CHF 5.47

15.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.44

$4.13 CHF 3.33

3.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.9 CHF 69.2

$79.2 CHF 63.8

8.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.80

$2.17 CHF 1.75

3.23%

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

$40.4K CHF 32.5K

$40.7K CHF 32.7K

-0.63%

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

$45.6K CHF 36.7K

$41.1K CHF 33.1K

10.96%

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

$302 CHF 243

$334 CHF 269

-9.52%

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

$53.5 CHF 43.10

$59.1 CHF 47.56

-9.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 CHF 47.31

$53.2 CHF 42.79

10.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.0 CHF 73.2

$87.6 CHF 70.5

3.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.16 CHF 33.93

Cinema Ticket

$22.71 CHF 18.28

$21.97 CHF 17.68

3.37%

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

$2,604 CHF 2,096

$2,779 CHF 2,237

-6.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 27.9K

$35.2K CHF 28.4K

-1.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 107

$122 CHF 98.5

8.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.7 CHF 72.2

$36.49 CHF 29.37

145.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 CHF 145

$96.9 CHF 78.0

85.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$231 CHF 186

$62.4 CHF 50.2

269.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 CHF 1,666

$1,668 CHF 1,342

24.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,499 CHF 1,207

$1,481 CHF 1,192

1.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,839 CHF 3,090

$2,805 CHF 2,258

36.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,849 CHF 2,294

$2,435 CHF 1,960

17.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.1K CHF 16.2K

$15.9K CHF 12.8K

25.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.1K CHF 12.2K

$12.2K CHF 9,782

24.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,059 CHF 6,487

$8,406 CHF 6,766

-4.13%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Rapperswil: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,070 in Basel and $1,668 in Rapperswil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rapperswil pays 4% 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 $115 in Rapperswil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $691 vs $512 per month, with Rapperswil 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 Rapperswil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rapperswil wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rapperswil the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Rapperswil. 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 $1,668 in Rapperswil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,604 in Basel versus $2,779 in Rapperswil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% 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. Rapperswil 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 Rapperswil delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,333 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rapperswil hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Rapperswil 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 Rapperswil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.