Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Riehen Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Riehen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,653 in Basel versus $3,422 in Riehen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,857 in Basel versus $5,275 in Riehen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,062 in Basel versus $7,127 in Riehen.

Living in Basel is roughly 7% more expensive than Riehen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 173% above, Riehen 155% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.72 CHF 24.22

$30.79 CHF 24.27

-0.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$156 CHF 123

$143 CHF 113

8.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.37 CHF 15.27

$18.19 CHF 14.34

6.49%

Cappuccino

$6.75 CHF 5.32

$6.04 CHF 4.76

11.75%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.47

$5.43 CHF 4.28

4.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 3.96

$4.90 CHF 3.86

2.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.95

$8.15 CHF 6.42

23.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.87

$7.61 CHF 6.00

-2.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$2.14 CHF 1.69

4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.94

$3.45 CHF 2.72

8.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.94

$4.06 CHF 3.20

22.91%

Eggs

$8.16 CHF 6.44

$7.43 CHF 5.86

9.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 22.60

$29.12 CHF 22.96

-1.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.93 CHF 28.33

$33.42 CHF 26.35

7.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.12 CHF 34.00

$46.83 CHF 36.92

-7.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.14

$3.71 CHF 2.92

7.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.05

$2.27 CHF 1.79

14.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.35

$2.99 CHF 2.35

41.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.49

$6.44 CHF 5.07

8.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$2.41 CHF 1.90

34.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$2.40 CHF 1.89

22.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$1.37 CHF 1.08

13.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 CHF 9.21

$11.26 CHF 8.87

3.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 10.89

$12.21 CHF 9.63

13.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.88

$2.46 CHF 1.94

-2.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.49

$3.33 CHF 2.62

-5.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.61

$4.00 CHF 3.16

14.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.4

$98.6 CHF 77.7

6.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.30

$7.71 CHF 6.08

3.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.40

$4.19 CHF 3.30

2.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.8

$78.9 CHF 62.2

10.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.75

$2.22 CHF 1.75

0.45%

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

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

$40.7K CHF 32.1K

-0.74%

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

$44.3K CHF 34.9K

$42.0K CHF 33.1K

5.53%

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

$306 CHF 241

$264 CHF 208

15.97%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.20

$48.79 CHF 38.46

9.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 46.40

$58.0 CHF 45.73

1.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 CHF 71.2

$87.7 CHF 69.1

2.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.51

$25.41 CHF 20.04

67.26%

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 17.91

$22.89 CHF 18.04

-0.74%

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

$2,574 CHF 2,029

$2,930 CHF 2,310

-12.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

$34.7K CHF 27.3K

-1.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 105

$135 CHF 107

-1.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.3 CHF 69.6

$67.6 CHF 53.3

30.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 CHF 143

$149 CHF 117

22.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 179

$189 CHF 149

19.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CHF 1,665

$1,721 CHF 1,357

22.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 CHF 1,197

$1,496 CHF 1,179

1.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 CHF 3,018

$2,833 CHF 2,234

35.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,209

$2,499 CHF 1,970

12.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.0K

$13.0K CHF 10.2K

46.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

$10.5K CHF 8,256

36.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,537

$8,819 CHF 6,953

-5.97%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Riehen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Basel and $1,721 in Riehen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riehen pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $156 in Basel vs $143 in Riehen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $655 per month, with Riehen 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 Riehen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Riehen wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Riehen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Riehen earns 6% 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: $2,112 in Basel versus $1,721 in Riehen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Basel versus $2,930 in Riehen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% 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. Riehen 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 Riehen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,422 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Riehen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Riehen 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 Riehen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.