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: $3,725 in Basel versus $3,267 in Rapperswil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,789 in Basel versus $4,881 in Rapperswil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,853 in Basel versus $6,494 in Rapperswil.

Living in Basel is roughly 14% more expensive than in Rapperswil, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 180% above, Rapperswil 145% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.01 CHF 25.03

$30.81 CHF 24.87

0.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 124

$118 CHF 94.9

30.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.45 CHF 15.69

$18.18 CHF 14.67

6.99%

Cappuccino

$6.66 CHF 5.38

$5.58 CHF 4.50

19.35%

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

$5.74 CHF 4.63

$5.47 CHF 4.42

4.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CHF 4.04

$4.84 CHF 3.91

3.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.58 CHF 7.73

$7.47 CHF 6.03

28.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.70 CHF 6.21

$6.07 CHF 4.90

26.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.79

$1.20 CHF 0.97

85.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 CHF 3.02

$1.12 CHF 0.90

233.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.00 CHF 4.04

$2.51 CHF 2.02

99.20%

Eggs

$7.91 CHF 6.39

$3.75 CHF 3.03

110.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.24 CHF 23.60

$27.95 CHF 22.56

4.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.30 CHF 30.10

$32.61 CHF 26.31

14.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.14 CHF 34.81

$37.63 CHF 30.37

14.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 CHF 3.10

$2.43 CHF 1.96

58.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.10

$1.81 CHF 1.46

43.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 CHF 3.27

$2.42 CHF 1.96

67.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.86 CHF 5.54

$2.45 CHF 1.97

180.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 CHF 2.60

$1.89 CHF 1.52

70.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CHF 2.29

$1.81 CHF 1.46

56.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CHF 2.12

$2.58 CHF 2.08

1.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.20

$0.59 CHF 0.48

152.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 CHF 9.33

$11.05 CHF 8.91

4.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.33 CHF 10.76

$13.26 CHF 10.70

0.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CHF 1.89

$0.82 CHF 0.67

185.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.45

$2.27 CHF 1.83

33.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 CHF 3.68

$3.97 CHF 3.20

14.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 86.8

$99.7 CHF 80.5

7.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.05 CHF 6.50

$6.76 CHF 5.45

19.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.19 CHF 3.38

$4.29 CHF 3.47

-2.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.8 CHF 69.2

$79.5 CHF 64.2

7.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.77

$2.11 CHF 1.70

3.79%

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

$40.7K CHF 32.8K

$40.8K CHF 32.9K

-0.21%

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

$44.9K CHF 36.2K

$41.5K CHF 33.5K

8.22%

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

$303 CHF 245

$336 CHF 271

-9.75%

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

$53.2 CHF 42.90

$59.7 CHF 48.20

-11.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 CHF 47.23

$53.2 CHF 42.96

9.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.7 CHF 73.2

$86.6 CHF 69.9

4.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.34 CHF 34.17

$49.93 CHF 40.29

-15.20%

Cinema Ticket

$22.39 CHF 18.07

$21.82 CHF 17.61

2.61%

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

$2,538 CHF 2,048

$2,796 CHF 2,257

-9.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K CHF 27.8K

$35.2K CHF 28.4K

-2.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 109

$124 CHF 100.0

9.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.2 CHF 71.9

$37.30 CHF 30.10

139.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$175 CHF 141

$99.3 CHF 80.1

75.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 183

$60.5 CHF 48.80

274.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 CHF 1,699

$1,686 CHF 1,360

24.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 CHF 1,209

$1,452 CHF 1,172

3.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,749 CHF 3,025

$2,887 CHF 2,330

29.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,888 CHF 2,331

$2,503 CHF 2,020

15.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K CHF 14.8K

$14.4K CHF 11.7K

26.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.3K CHF 11.5K

$13.3K CHF 10.8K

7.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,099 CHF 5,729

$8,215 CHF 6,630

-13.58%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Rapperswil: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,105 in Basel and $1,686 in Rapperswil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rapperswil pays 16% 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 $118 in Rapperswil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $689 vs $515 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 14% 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 16% 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: $2,105 in Basel versus $1,686 in Rapperswil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,538 in Basel versus $2,796 in Rapperswil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% 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 $3,267 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 14% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.