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: $3,610 in Basel versus $3,322 in Rapperswil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,659 in Basel versus $5,118 in Rapperswil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,707 in Basel versus $6,915 in Rapperswil.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 164% above, Rapperswil 143% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 CHF 25.36

$25.14 CHF 20.66

22.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 103

$98.9 CHF 81.3

26.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.50 CHF 15.21

$16.52 CHF 13.58

11.99%

Cappuccino

$6.72 CHF 5.52

$6.04 CHF 4.97

11.26%

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

$6.38 CHF 5.24

$4.88 CHF 4.01

30.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 CHF 4.77

$4.83 CHF 3.97

20.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.89

$8.49 CHF 6.97

13.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.74 CHF 8.00

$6.11 CHF 5.02

59.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.85

$2.21 CHF 1.81

1.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 CHF 2.48

$3.48 CHF 2.86

-13.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 CHF 2.75

$4.40 CHF 3.61

-24.09%

Eggs

$8.26 CHF 6.79

$7.67 CHF 6.31

7.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.04 CHF 21.40

$27.61 CHF 22.69

-5.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.62 CHF 22.70

$26.46 CHF 21.75

4.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.64 CHF 34.22

$40.55 CHF 33.32

2.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.92

$3.63 CHF 2.98

-2.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.87

$2.07 CHF 1.70

9.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.42

$2.77 CHF 2.28

6.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 CHF 3.81

$4.69 CHF 3.86

-1.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 CHF 1.45

$2.02 CHF 1.66

-12.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.65

$2.25 CHF 1.85

-11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 CHF 1.80

$2.38 CHF 1.95

-7.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CHF 1.31

$1.38 CHF 1.14

15.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.43 CHF 9.39

$11.04 CHF 9.07

3.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 CHF 9.96

$13.63 CHF 11.20

-11.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CHF 2.07

$2.21 CHF 1.81

14.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CHF 2.49

$2.79 CHF 2.29

8.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 CHF 3.76

$4.43 CHF 3.64

3.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 87.2

$101 CHF 82.8

5.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 CHF 6.49

$7.59 CHF 6.24

4.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.58 CHF 3.77

$4.80 CHF 3.95

-4.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.3 CHF 71.0

$89.1 CHF 73.3

-3.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$2.19 CHF 1.80

3.20%

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

$43.2K CHF 35.5K

$43.0K CHF 35.3K

0.44%

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

$40.5K CHF 33.3K

$39.8K CHF 32.7K

1.77%

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

$295 CHF 243

$238 CHF 195

24.18%

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

$53.7 CHF 44.17

$32.47 CHF 26.69

65.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 CHF 52.7

$66.1 CHF 54.3

-2.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.3 CHF 69.2

$92.5 CHF 76.1

-8.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.7 CHF 47.40

$46.83 CHF 38.48

23.17%

Cinema Ticket

$23.28 CHF 19.13

$22.36 CHF 18.38

4.11%

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

$3,047 CHF 2,504

$2,918 CHF 2,398

4.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.4K

$45.4K CHF 37.4K

-26.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 119

$144 CHF 118

1.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.2 CHF 65.9

$89.9 CHF 73.9

-10.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 CHF 133

$147 CHF 121

10.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 163

$177 CHF 146

12.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 CHF 1,720

$1,738 CHF 1,428

20.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 CHF 1,264

$1,489 CHF 1,224

3.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,533 CHF 2,904

$2,852 CHF 2,343

23.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 CHF 2,318

$2,553 CHF 2,098

10.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 15.0K

$16.6K CHF 13.6K

10.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.7K CHF 12.1K

$12.4K CHF 10.2K

18.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,077 CHF 5,816

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

1.72

41.28%

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

Last update for Basel: September 14, 2026

Last update for Rapperswil: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,093 in Basel and $1,738 in Rapperswil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $126 in Basel vs $99.0 in Rapperswil. Groceries flip the comparison at $587 vs $588, with Basel cheaper for home cooking.

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 9% 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.

You'd need roughly $5,415 in Basel and $4,982 in Rapperswil 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: $2,093 in Basel versus $1,738 in Rapperswil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,047 in Basel versus $2,918 in Rapperswil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Basel pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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 $3,322 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 9% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.