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: $3,544 in Basel versus $2,032 in Rheinfelden.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,518 in Basel versus $4,849 in Rheinfelden.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,492 in Basel versus $7,665 in Rheinfelden.

Living in Basel is roughly 74% more expensive than in Rheinfelden, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 157% above, Rheinfelden 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.93 CHF 24.42

$29.08 CHF 23.73

2.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 102

$121 CHF 98.9

3.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.69 CHF 15.25

$18.22 CHF 14.87

2.58%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.49

$6.29 CHF 5.13

7.00%

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

$6.33 CHF 5.17

$5.49 CHF 4.48

15.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 CHF 4.78

$4.80 CHF 3.92

22.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.34 CHF 7.62

$8.49 CHF 6.93

10.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 CHF 8.22

$6.64 CHF 5.42

51.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.89

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 CHF 2.49

$3.96 CHF 3.23

-22.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 CHF 2.71

$4.85 CHF 3.96

-31.55%

Eggs

$8.34 CHF 6.80

$7.59 CHF 6.20

9.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.21 CHF 21.39

$26.40 CHF 21.54

-0.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.85 CHF 22.73

$28.17 CHF 22.99

-1.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.56 CHF 34.73

$43.88 CHF 35.81

-3.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 CHF 2.99

$4.42 CHF 3.61

-17.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.96

$2.20 CHF 1.80

9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 CHF 2.44

$3.08 CHF 2.51

-2.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 CHF 3.94

$5.37 CHF 4.38

-10.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CHF 1.46

$1.72 CHF 1.41

4.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 CHF 1.59

$1.96 CHF 1.60

-0.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.90

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.36

$1.20 CHF 0.98

38.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CHF 9.49

$11.58 CHF 9.45

0.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 CHF 9.99

$12.27 CHF 10.01

-0.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

$3.16 CHF 2.58

-21.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.59

$4.16 CHF 3.40

-23.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 CHF 3.63

$3.79 CHF 3.10

17.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 88.3

$124 CHF 101

-12.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.52

$5.53 CHF 4.51

44.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.59 CHF 3.75

$3.41 CHF 2.79

34.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.0 CHF 71.8

$61.9 CHF 50.5

42.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.87

$2.20 CHF 1.80

4.09%

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

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

$44.3K CHF 36.1K

-0.10%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.3K

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

-0.69%

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

$299 CHF 244

$247 CHF 202

20.80%

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

$53.3 CHF 43.47

$48.92 CHF 39.92

8.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 CHF 53.9

$64.4 CHF 52.6

2.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.8 CHF 70.0

$110 CHF 90.2

-22.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.0 CHF 48.17

Cinema Ticket

$23.81 CHF 19.44

$23.70 CHF 19.34

0.46%

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

$3,026 CHF 2,470

$3,024 CHF 2,468

0.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

$33.0K CHF 26.9K

0.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 120

$152 CHF 124

-3.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.6 CHF 66.6

$82.6 CHF 67.4

-1.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 CHF 134

$167 CHF 137

-2.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 162

$201 CHF 164

-1.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 CHF 1,747

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CHF 1,247

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,615 CHF 2,950

$2,243 CHF 1,831

61.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,890 CHF 2,358

$3,078 CHF 2,512

-6.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,336 CHF 5,987

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

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

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Last update for Rheinfelden: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $125 in Basel vs $121 in Rheinfelden. Groceries flip the comparison at $597 vs $620, 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 Rheinfelden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rheinfelden wins on cost – living expenses run 74% 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 $5,316 in Basel and $3,048 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.

Childcare runs $3,026 in Basel versus $3,024 in Rheinfelden. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Basel pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,032 in Rheinfelden versus $3,544 in Basel, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rheinfelden but tight or insufficient in Basel. The gap between the two cities makes Rheinfelden the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rheinfelden delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,032 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 74% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.