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: $3,741 in Basel versus $3,360 in Rapperswil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,905 in Basel versus $4,946 in Rapperswil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,069 in Basel versus $6,532 in Rapperswil.

Living in Basel is roughly 11% more expensive than Rapperswil, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 179% above, Rapperswil 151% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.45 CHF 24.09

$30.21 CHF 23.90

0.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$152 CHF 121

$118 CHF 93.7

28.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.99 CHF 15.81

$18.47 CHF 14.61

8.23%

Cappuccino

$6.65 CHF 5.26

$5.40 CHF 4.27

23.15%

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

$5.68 CHF 4.50

$5.57 CHF 4.41

1.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CHF 4.14

$4.86 CHF 3.84

7.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.58 CHF 7.57

$7.46 CHF 5.90

28.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 CHF 6.04

$6.21 CHF 4.91

23.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.75

$1.15 CHF 0.91

92.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 CHF 3.03

$1.13 CHF 0.90

238.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 CHF 4.10

$2.43 CHF 1.92

113.17%

Eggs

$8.09 CHF 6.40

$3.64 CHF 2.88

122.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.36 CHF 22.43

$27.62 CHF 21.85

2.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.13 CHF 29.37

$32.07 CHF 25.37

15.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.06 CHF 34.85

$37.35 CHF 29.55

17.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 CHF 3.02

$2.43 CHF 1.92

56.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 CHF 2.11

$1.84 CHF 1.45

45.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.29

$2.51 CHF 1.99

65.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.53

$2.50 CHF 1.98

179.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 CHF 2.57

$1.88 CHF 1.49

72.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.34

$1.82 CHF 1.44

62.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CHF 2.00

$2.62 CHF 2.07

-3.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CHF 1.24

$0.64 CHF 0.51

145.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.73 CHF 9.28

$10.79 CHF 8.54

8.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 CHF 11.94

$12.01 CHF 9.50

25.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$0.84 CHF 0.66

179.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CHF 2.41

$2.27 CHF 1.80

34.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 CHF 3.60

$3.83 CHF 3.03

18.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.9

$96.7 CHF 76.5

8.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 CHF 6.29

$6.64 CHF 5.25

19.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.38

$4.31 CHF 3.41

-0.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.8 CHF 67.8

$79.2 CHF 62.7

8.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.78

$2.13 CHF 1.69

5.16%

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

$39.6K CHF 31.3K

$41.1K CHF 32.5K

-3.59%

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

$44.8K CHF 35.4K

$40.8K CHF 32.3K

9.74%

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

$309 CHF 244

$332 CHF 262

-6.83%

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

$53.1 CHF 42.03

$60.2 CHF 47.62

-11.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 CHF 47.79

$53.2 CHF 42.05

13.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.0 CHF 72.0

$89.4 CHF 70.7

1.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.48 CHF 33.60

Cinema Ticket

$23.06 CHF 18.24

$22.00 CHF 17.40

4.82%

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

$2,609 CHF 2,064

$2,810 CHF 2,222

-7.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K CHF 27.5K

$34.6K CHF 27.4K

0.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 105

$121 CHF 95.4

10.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.1 CHF 68.9

$36.95 CHF 29.23

135.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 138

$98.9 CHF 78.2

76.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$231 CHF 182

$62.3 CHF 49.25

270.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 CHF 1,682

$1,698 CHF 1,343

25.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 CHF 1,157

$1,477 CHF 1,168

-0.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,757 CHF 2,971

$2,805 CHF 2,219

33.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,789 CHF 2,206

$2,416 CHF 1,911

15.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.9K CHF 14.2K

$13.8K CHF 10.9K

29.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.3K CHF 10.5K

$9,927 CHF 7,852

34.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,988 CHF 6,318

$8,530 CHF 6,747

-6.36%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Rapperswil: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,126 in Basel and $1,698 in Rapperswil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rapperswil pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $152 in Basel vs $118 in Rapperswil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $696 vs $508 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 11% 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, Rapperswil earns 7% less. 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: $2,126 in Basel versus $1,698 in Rapperswil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,609 in Basel versus $2,810 in Rapperswil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% 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 $3,360 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 11% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.