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: $3,653 in Basel versus $3,569 in St. Gallen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,857 in Basel versus $5,433 in St. Gallen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,062 in Basel versus $7,296 in St. Gallen.

Living in Basel is roughly 2% more expensive than St. Gallen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 173% above, St. Gallen 166% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.72 CHF 24.22

$30.20 CHF 23.81

1.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$156 CHF 123

$149 CHF 117

4.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.37 CHF 15.27

$18.33 CHF 14.45

5.67%

Cappuccino

$6.75 CHF 5.32

$6.23 CHF 4.91

8.35%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.47

$5.87 CHF 4.63

-3.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 3.96

$5.38 CHF 4.24

-6.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.95

$7.36 CHF 5.81

37.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.87

$7.15 CHF 5.64

4.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$2.23 CHF 1.76

0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.94

$2.68 CHF 2.11

39.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.94

$3.58 CHF 2.82

39.39%

Eggs

$8.16 CHF 6.44

$8.15 CHF 6.42

0.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 22.60

$27.21 CHF 21.45

5.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.93 CHF 28.33

$32.59 CHF 25.69

10.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.12 CHF 34.00

$40.95 CHF 32.29

5.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.14

$3.13 CHF 2.47

27.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.05

$1.85 CHF 1.46

40.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.35

$2.58 CHF 2.03

64.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.49

$7.26 CHF 5.72

-4.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$2.56 CHF 2.02

26.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$2.34 CHF 1.85

25.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$2.34 CHF 1.84

7.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$1.11 CHF 0.87

39.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 CHF 9.21

$11.04 CHF 8.71

5.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 10.89

$11.81 CHF 9.31

16.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.88

$2.16 CHF 1.70

10.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.49

$2.31 CHF 1.82

36.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.61

$4.32 CHF 3.41

6.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.4

$80.6 CHF 63.5

29.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.30

$6.86 CHF 5.41

16.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.40

$4.20 CHF 3.31

2.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.8

$79.0 CHF 62.3

10.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.75

$2.10 CHF 1.66

6.19%

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

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

$39.9K CHF 31.5K

1.20%

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

$44.3K CHF 34.9K

$41.5K CHF 32.7K

6.89%

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

$306 CHF 241

$332 CHF 262

-7.75%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.20

$59.3 CHF 46.73

-9.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 46.40

$52.8 CHF 41.63

11.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 CHF 71.2

$81.2 CHF 64.1

11.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.51

$99.3 CHF 78.3

-57.22%

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 17.91

$30.30 CHF 23.89

-25.02%

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

$2,574 CHF 2,029

$2,792 CHF 2,202

-7.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

$34.9K CHF 27.5K

-2.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 105

$148 CHF 117

-9.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.3 CHF 69.6

$64.8 CHF 51.1

36.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 CHF 143

$156 CHF 123

15.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 179

$238 CHF 187

-4.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CHF 1,665

$1,814 CHF 1,431

16.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 CHF 1,197

$1,526 CHF 1,203

-0.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 CHF 3,018

$2,733 CHF 2,154

40.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,209

$2,369 CHF 1,868

18.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.0K

$10.8K CHF 8,511

76.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

$8,655 CHF 6,823

64.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,537

$7,138 CHF 5,628

16.17%

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 St. Gallen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Basel and $1,814 in St. Gallen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 16% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $156 in Basel vs $149 in St. Gallen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $611 per month, with St. Gallen 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 St. Gallen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Gallen wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making St. Gallen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Basel pays 16% more on average, 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: $2,112 in Basel versus $1,814 in St. Gallen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Basel versus $2,792 in St. Gallen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. St. Gallen 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 St. Gallen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,569 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes St. Gallen 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 St. Gallen 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.