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: $3,606 in Basel versus $3,522 in Riehen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,819 in Basel versus $5,312 in Riehen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,033 in Basel versus $7,102 in Riehen.

Living in Basel is roughly 2% more expensive than in Riehen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 170% above, Riehen 164% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.16 CHF 25.24

$30.28 CHF 24.53

2.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 125

$143 CHF 116

7.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.41 CHF 15.72

$18.43 CHF 14.93

5.32%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.45

$6.12 CHF 4.96

9.97%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.43

$5.34 CHF 4.33

2.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 CHF 4.22

$4.96 CHF 4.02

5.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 CHF 7.82

$8.36 CHF 6.77

15.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 CHF 5.92

$7.58 CHF 6.14

-3.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.79

$2.23 CHF 1.81

-0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 CHF 3.14

$3.47 CHF 2.81

11.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.19 CHF 4.20

$4.18 CHF 3.38

24.16%

Eggs

$7.82 CHF 6.34

$7.37 CHF 5.97

6.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.51 CHF 23.09

$28.47 CHF 23.06

0.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.76 CHF 29.78

$32.98 CHF 26.71

11.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.22 CHF 35.82

$48.25 CHF 39.08

-8.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CHF 3.16

$3.74 CHF 3.03

4.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.22

$2.29 CHF 1.86

19.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CHF 3.38

$2.94 CHF 2.39

42.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.66

$6.38 CHF 5.17

9.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.64

$2.52 CHF 2.04

29.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.41

$2.35 CHF 1.90

26.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.04

$2.50 CHF 2.03

0.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$1.37 CHF 1.11

8.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 CHF 9.58

$11.16 CHF 9.04

6.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 CHF 11.08

$12.91 CHF 10.45

5.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.96

$2.44 CHF 1.97

-0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.46

$3.34 CHF 2.71

-8.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 CHF 3.86

$3.82 CHF 3.09

24.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 85.1

$99.8 CHF 80.9

5.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 CHF 6.42

$7.67 CHF 6.22

3.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.36 CHF 3.53

$4.30 CHF 3.48

1.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 70.8

$79.0 CHF 64.0

10.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$2.17 CHF 1.76

1.38%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

$40.9K CHF 33.2K

-0.34%

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

$45.1K CHF 36.6K

$42.0K CHF 34.0K

7.47%

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

$302 CHF 245

$260 CHF 211

16.15%

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

$54.0 CHF 43.74

$49.27 CHF 39.91

9.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 47.69

$58.7 CHF 47.57

0.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.9 CHF 73.6

$87.2 CHF 70.7

4.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.38 CHF 33.52

$25.80 CHF 20.90

60.39%

Cinema Ticket

$23.17 CHF 18.77

$22.94 CHF 18.58

1.00%

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

$2,533 CHF 2,052

$2,889 CHF 2,340

-12.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

$34.8K CHF 28.2K

-2.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$136 CHF 110

-0.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.6 CHF 71.0

$67.2 CHF 54.5

30.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 CHF 146

$146 CHF 119

22.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$230 CHF 186

$190 CHF 154

20.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 CHF 1,704

$1,701 CHF 1,377

23.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 CHF 1,224

$1,440 CHF 1,166

4.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,742 CHF 3,031

$2,866 CHF 2,321

30.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 CHF 2,292

$2,496 CHF 2,022

13.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

$14.0K CHF 11.4K

33.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

$12.2K CHF 9,913

19.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,175 CHF 5,812

$8,551 CHF 6,927

-16.09%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Riehen: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,103 in Basel and $1,701 in Riehen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riehen pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $154 in Basel vs $143 in Riehen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $692 vs $658 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 2% 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, salaries run 19% 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: $2,103 in Basel versus $1,701 in Riehen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,533 in Basel versus $2,889 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 $3,522 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 2% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.