Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and St. Gallen Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and St. Gallen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,544 in Basel versus $3,743 in St. Gallen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,518 in Basel versus $5,379 in St. Gallen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,492 in Basel versus $7,016 in St. Gallen.

Living in Basel costs roughly 5% less than in St. Gallen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 157% above, St. Gallen 171% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.93 CHF 24.21

$29.37 CHF 23.76

1.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 101

$150 CHF 122

-16.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.69 CHF 15.12

$18.38 CHF 14.87

1.69%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.44

$6.27 CHF 5.07

7.34%

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

$6.33 CHF 5.12

$6.07 CHF 4.91

4.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 CHF 4.74

$5.27 CHF 4.27

11.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.34 CHF 7.55

$9.17 CHF 7.42

1.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 CHF 8.15

$6.51 CHF 5.27

54.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.88

$2.24 CHF 1.81

3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 CHF 2.47

$3.18 CHF 2.57

-4.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 CHF 2.68

$3.92 CHF 3.17

-15.31%

Eggs

$8.34 CHF 6.74

$7.80 CHF 6.31

6.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.21 CHF 21.20

$26.19 CHF 21.19

0.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.85 CHF 22.53

$29.72 CHF 24.04

-6.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.56 CHF 34.42

$39.85 CHF 32.24

6.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 CHF 2.96

$3.17 CHF 2.56

15.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.94

$1.65 CHF 1.34

45.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 CHF 2.42

$2.48 CHF 2.01

20.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 CHF 3.91

$6.25 CHF 5.06

-22.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CHF 1.45

$1.69 CHF 1.36

5.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 CHF 1.57

$2.19 CHF 1.77

-10.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.89

$2.30 CHF 1.86

1.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.34

$1.22 CHF 0.99

36.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CHF 9.41

$10.97 CHF 8.88

6.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 CHF 9.90

$11.52 CHF 9.32

6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.02

$2.20 CHF 1.78

13.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.57

$2.42 CHF 1.95

31.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 CHF 3.59

$4.38 CHF 3.54

1.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 87.5

$129 CHF 104

-15.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.46

$6.85 CHF 5.54

16.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.59 CHF 3.72

$4.88 CHF 3.95

-5.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.0 CHF 71.2

$79.3 CHF 64.2

10.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.85

$2.23 CHF 1.81

2.69%

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

$44.2K CHF 35.8K

$36.2K CHF 29.3K

22.29%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.1K

$39.7K CHF 32.1K

-0.16%

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

$299 CHF 241

$314 CHF 254

-4.84%

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

$53.3 CHF 43.09

$38.80 CHF 31.39

37.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 CHF 53.4

$55.7 CHF 45.01

18.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.8 CHF 69.4

$82.0 CHF 66.4

4.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.0 CHF 47.75

$97.4 CHF 78.8

-39.41%

Cinema Ticket

$23.81 CHF 19.26

$30.46 CHF 24.64

-21.83%

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

$3,026 CHF 2,448

$2,327 CHF 1,883

30.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 26.9K

$32.4K CHF 26.2K

2.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 119

$149 CHF 121

-1.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.6 CHF 66.0

$66.6 CHF 53.9

22.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 CHF 132

$151 CHF 122

8.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 161

$185 CHF 150

7.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 CHF 1,732

$1,838 CHF 1,487

16.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CHF 1,236

$1,747 CHF 1,413

-12.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,615 CHF 2,924

$2,878 CHF 2,328

25.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,890 CHF 2,337

$2,221 CHF 1,797

30.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 14.9K

$12.3K CHF 9,962

49.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.5K CHF 11.7K

$9,335 CHF 7,551

55.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,336 CHF 5,934

$6,935 CHF 5,609

5.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

2.1

15.71%

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

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Last update for St. Gallen: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,141 in Basel and $1,838 in St. Gallen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel 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: $125 in Basel vs $150 in St. Gallen. Groceries flip the comparison at $597 vs $587, with St. Gallen 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 St. Gallen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Basel wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in St. Gallen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Basel the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Basel, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,141 in Basel versus $1,838 in St. Gallen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,026 in Basel versus $2,327 in St. Gallen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in St. Gallen pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Basel 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 Basel delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,544 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Basel hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and St. Gallen 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 Basel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in St. Gallen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.