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: $3,544 in Basel versus $3,537 in Riehen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,518 in Basel versus $5,310 in Riehen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,492 in Basel versus $7,083 in Riehen.

Monthly costs are close between Basel and Riehen; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 157% above, Riehen 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.93 CHF 24.42

$30.68 CHF 25.04

-2.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 102

$121 CHF 98.9

3.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.69 CHF 15.25

$16.03 CHF 13.08

16.59%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.49

$6.21 CHF 5.07

8.37%

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

$6.33 CHF 5.17

$5.21 CHF 4.25

21.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 CHF 4.78

$5.56 CHF 4.54

5.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.34 CHF 7.62

$7.28 CHF 5.94

28.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 CHF 8.22

$6.99 CHF 5.71

44.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.89

$2.22 CHF 1.82

4.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 CHF 2.49

$3.37 CHF 2.75

-9.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 CHF 2.71

$3.44 CHF 2.80

-3.49%

Eggs

$8.34 CHF 6.80

$7.19 CHF 5.87

15.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.21 CHF 21.39

$25.37 CHF 20.70

3.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.85 CHF 22.73

$26.22 CHF 21.39

6.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.56 CHF 34.73

$37.62 CHF 30.70

13.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 CHF 2.99

$3.48 CHF 2.84

5.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.96

$1.75 CHF 1.42

37.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 CHF 2.44

$2.55 CHF 2.08

17.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 CHF 3.94

$4.63 CHF 3.78

4.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CHF 1.46

$1.83 CHF 1.49

-2.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 CHF 1.59

$2.02 CHF 1.65

-3.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.90

$2.28 CHF 1.86

2.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.36

$1.27 CHF 1.03

30.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CHF 9.49

$10.97 CHF 8.95

6.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 CHF 9.99

$10.32 CHF 8.42

18.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

$3.54 CHF 2.89

-29.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.59

$2.39 CHF 1.95

33.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 CHF 3.63

$4.48 CHF 3.66

-0.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 88.3

$101 CHF 82.2

7.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.52

$10.18 CHF 8.30

-21.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.59 CHF 3.75

$4.00 CHF 3.27

14.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.0 CHF 71.8

$74.4 CHF 60.7

18.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.87

$2.28 CHF 1.86

0.44%

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

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

$42.4K CHF 34.6K

4.35%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.3K

$40.3K CHF 32.9K

-1.59%

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

$299 CHF 244

$349 CHF 284

-14.34%

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

$53.3 CHF 43.47

$42.75 CHF 34.89

24.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 CHF 53.9

$59.0 CHF 48.13

11.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.8 CHF 70.0

$92.0 CHF 75.1

-6.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.0 CHF 48.17

$46.74 CHF 38.14

26.29%

Cinema Ticket

$23.81 CHF 19.44

$21.73 CHF 17.73

9.57%

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

$3,026 CHF 2,470

$1,830 CHF 1,493

65.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

$37.7K CHF 30.8K

-11.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 120

$101 CHF 82.7

44.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.6 CHF 66.6

$58.5 CHF 47.76

39.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 CHF 134

$167 CHF 136

-2.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 162

$192 CHF 156

3.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 CHF 1,747

$1,765 CHF 1,440

21.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CHF 1,247

$1,497 CHF 1,222

2.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,615 CHF 2,950

$3,532 CHF 2,883

2.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,890 CHF 2,358

$2,502 CHF 2,042

15.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

$16.3K CHF 13.3K

12.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

$10.7K CHF 8,728

35.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,336 CHF 5,987

$8,610 CHF 7,026

-14.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

2.31

5.19%

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

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Last update for Riehen: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,141 in Basel and $1,765 in Riehen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riehen pays 17% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $125 in Basel vs $121 in Riehen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $597 vs $557 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

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Riehen. 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: $2,141 in Basel versus $1,765 in Riehen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,026 in Basel versus $1,830 in Riehen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Riehen – a meal for two runs $121 versus $125 in Basel. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 $3,537 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.

It comes down to priorities – Riehen wins on affordability, Basel on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.