Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Rheinfelden Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Rheinfelden

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,658 in Basel versus $3,547 in Rheinfelden.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,824 in Basel versus $5,548 in Rheinfelden.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,989 in Basel versus $7,550 in Rheinfelden.

Living in Basel is roughly 3% more expensive than in Rheinfelden, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.22 CHF 24.71

$27.76 CHF 22.70

8.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$157 CHF 128

$109 CHF 89.5

43.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.82 CHF 16.21

$17.18 CHF 14.05

15.37%

Cappuccino

$7.03 CHF 5.75

$5.81 CHF 4.75

21.00%

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

$5.60 CHF 4.58

$4.75 CHF 3.88

17.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 CHF 4.18

$4.60 CHF 3.76

11.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.92 CHF 8.11

$8.54 CHF 6.98

16.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 CHF 6.24

$6.32 CHF 5.17

20.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.83

$2.24 CHF 1.84

-0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 3.05

$3.28 CHF 2.68

13.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 CHF 4.20

$4.16 CHF 3.40

23.32%

Eggs

$7.88 CHF 6.44

$7.14 CHF 5.84

10.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.25 CHF 23.91

$28.54 CHF 23.33

2.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.16 CHF 29.57

$35.59 CHF 29.10

1.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.71 CHF 35.74

$40.87 CHF 33.42

6.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 CHF 3.16

$3.47 CHF 2.84

11.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 CHF 2.21

$2.15 CHF 1.76

26.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CHF 3.44

$2.89 CHF 2.36

45.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.92 CHF 5.66

$7.08 CHF 5.79

-2.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 CHF 2.65

$2.15 CHF 1.76

50.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 CHF 2.33

$2.16 CHF 1.77

31.94%

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

$1.09 CHF 0.89

42.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.90 CHF 9.73

$11.35 CHF 9.28

4.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.44 CHF 10.99

$12.92 CHF 10.57

4.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 CHF 1.93

$1.96 CHF 1.60

20.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CHF 2.55

$2.36 CHF 1.93

32.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.65 CHF 3.80

$3.97 CHF 3.25

17.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 CHF 87.6

$97.8 CHF 80.0

9.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.15 CHF 6.67

$7.89 CHF 6.46

3.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.16 CHF 3.40

$4.20 CHF 3.43

-0.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.0 CHF 71.1

$84.9 CHF 69.4

2.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.81

$2.22 CHF 1.82

-0.45%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.5K

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

-3.21%

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

$44.5K CHF 36.4K

$45.4K CHF 37.2K

-2.14%

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

$302 CHF 247

$304 CHF 248

-0.43%

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

$53.7 CHF 43.91

$53.8 CHF 44.02

-0.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 CHF 48.35

$58.6 CHF 47.94

0.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.8 CHF 72.6

$88.1 CHF 72.0

0.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.93 CHF 34.29

Cinema Ticket

$23.07 CHF 18.87

$22.40 CHF 18.31

2.99%

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

$2,621 CHF 2,143

$3,061 CHF 2,503

-14.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 28.3K

$33.8K CHF 27.7K

2.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 111

$136 CHF 111

-0.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.8 CHF 71.0

$68.8 CHF 56.3

26.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$179 CHF 146

$174 CHF 142

2.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 CHF 191

$186 CHF 152

25.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 CHF 1,692

$1,724 CHF 1,410

20.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 CHF 1,206

$1,450 CHF 1,186

1.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,823 CHF 3,126

$2,880 CHF 2,355

32.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,868 CHF 2,345

$3,088 CHF 2,525

-7.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K CHF 14.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,233 CHF 5,914

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

2.52

1.19%

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

Last update for Basel: July 20, 2026

Last update for Rheinfelden: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,070 in Basel and $1,724 in Rheinfelden. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $157 in Basel vs $109 in Rheinfelden for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $688 vs $638 per month, with Rheinfelden 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 Rheinfelden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $5,487 in Basel and $5,320 in Rheinfelden 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 $1,724 in Rheinfelden. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,621 in Basel versus $3,061 in Rheinfelden. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Rheinfelden 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 Rheinfelden delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,547 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rheinfelden hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Rheinfelden 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 Rheinfelden 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.