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: $3,606 in Basel versus $3,529 in St. Gallen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,819 in Basel versus $5,441 in St. Gallen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,033 in Basel versus $7,353 in St. Gallen.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.16 CHF 25.24

$30.33 CHF 24.57

2.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 125

$147 CHF 119

4.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.41 CHF 15.72

$18.50 CHF 14.99

4.92%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.45

$6.36 CHF 5.15

5.82%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.43

$5.84 CHF 4.73

-6.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 CHF 4.22

$5.33 CHF 4.32

-2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 CHF 7.82

$7.66 CHF 6.20

25.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 CHF 5.92

$7.28 CHF 5.89

0.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.79

$2.20 CHF 1.78

0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 CHF 3.14

$2.66 CHF 2.15

45.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.19 CHF 4.20

$3.53 CHF 2.86

47.03%

Eggs

$7.82 CHF 6.34

$8.31 CHF 6.73

-5.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.51 CHF 23.09

$27.25 CHF 22.08

4.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.76 CHF 29.78

$32.23 CHF 26.10

14.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.22 CHF 35.82

$41.77 CHF 33.84

5.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CHF 3.16

$3.27 CHF 2.65

19.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.22

$1.86 CHF 1.51

47.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CHF 3.38

$2.45 CHF 1.98

70.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.66

$7.04 CHF 5.70

-0.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.64

$2.53 CHF 2.05

28.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.41

$2.32 CHF 1.88

28.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.04

$2.38 CHF 1.93

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$1.11 CHF 0.90

34.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 CHF 9.58

$10.80 CHF 8.75

9.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 CHF 11.08

$11.53 CHF 9.34

18.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.96

$2.19 CHF 1.77

10.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.46

$2.39 CHF 1.93

27.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 CHF 3.86

$4.21 CHF 3.41

13.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 85.1

$82.5 CHF 66.8

27.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 CHF 6.42

$6.79 CHF 5.50

16.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.36 CHF 3.53

$4.10 CHF 3.32

6.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 70.8

$79.4 CHF 64.3

10.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$2.14 CHF 1.73

2.80%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

$40.6K CHF 32.9K

0.37%

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

$45.1K CHF 36.6K

$40.8K CHF 33.1K

10.54%

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

$302 CHF 245

$324 CHF 262

-6.66%

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

$54.0 CHF 43.74

$59.4 CHF 48.09

-9.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 47.69

$52.2 CHF 42.30

12.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.9 CHF 73.6

$82.7 CHF 67.0

9.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.38 CHF 33.52

$100 CHF 81.0

-58.64%

Cinema Ticket

$23.17 CHF 18.77

$31.00 CHF 25.11

-25.26%

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

$2,533 CHF 2,052

$2,815 CHF 2,280

-10.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

$34.2K CHF 27.7K

-1.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$145 CHF 118

-6.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.6 CHF 71.0

$64.6 CHF 52.3

35.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 CHF 146

$159 CHF 128

13.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$230 CHF 186

$233 CHF 189

-1.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 CHF 1,704

$1,816 CHF 1,471

15.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 CHF 1,224

$1,495 CHF 1,211

1.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,742 CHF 3,031

$2,793 CHF 2,262

33.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 CHF 2,292

$2,310 CHF 1,871

22.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

$12.4K CHF 10.0K

51.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

$9,105 CHF 7,375

60.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,175 CHF 5,812

$6,998 CHF 5,668

2.53%

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 St. Gallen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,103 in Basel and $1,816 in St. Gallen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 3% 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: $154 in Basel vs $147 in St. Gallen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $692 vs $610 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.

Average pay runs 3% 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: $2,103 in Basel versus $1,816 in St. Gallen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,533 in Basel versus $2,815 in St. Gallen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% 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 $3,529 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.