Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Staefa Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Staefa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,706 in Basel versus $3,423 in Staefa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,904 in Basel versus $5,287 in Staefa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,102 in Basel versus $7,152 in Staefa.

Living in Basel is roughly 8% more expensive than Staefa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 176% above, Staefa 155% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.07 CHF 24.84

$30.40 CHF 24.30

2.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$155 CHF 124

$148 CHF 118

4.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.81 CHF 15.83

$18.33 CHF 14.66

8.07%

Cappuccino

$6.98 CHF 5.58

$6.32 CHF 5.05

10.44%

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

$5.69 CHF 4.55

$5.75 CHF 4.60

-1.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CHF 4.00

$5.27 CHF 4.21

-5.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 CHF 7.83

$7.68 CHF 6.14

27.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 CHF 6.11

$7.21 CHF 5.76

5.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.78

$2.25 CHF 1.80

-1.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 CHF 3.07

$2.75 CHF 2.20

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.00 CHF 4.00

$3.63 CHF 2.91

37.74%

Eggs

$8.00 CHF 6.40

$7.86 CHF 6.28

1.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.50 CHF 22.78

$27.86 CHF 22.27

2.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.38 CHF 29.08

$32.36 CHF 25.86

12.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.61 CHF 35.66

$50.7 CHF 40.50

-11.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CHF 3.16

$3.16 CHF 2.53

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 CHF 2.16

$2.78 CHF 2.23

-2.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.39

$3.04 CHF 2.43

39.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.84 CHF 5.47

$5.26 CHF 4.20

30.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.52

$2.83 CHF 2.26

11.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CHF 2.29

$2.38 CHF 1.90

20.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CHF 2.11

$2.50 CHF 2.00

5.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CHF 1.20

$1.21 CHF 0.96

23.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.55 CHF 9.23

$11.19 CHF 8.95

3.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.89 CHF 11.10

$14.88 CHF 11.89

-6.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 CHF 1.90

$2.76 CHF 2.20

-14.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CHF 2.44

$2.39 CHF 1.91

28.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 CHF 3.73

$3.96 CHF 3.17

17.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 86.3

$98.1 CHF 78.4

9.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.06 CHF 6.44

$6.91 CHF 5.52

16.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.42

$4.16 CHF 3.32

2.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 69.7

$43.78 CHF 34.99

99.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.77

$2.24 CHF 1.79

-0.89%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.9K

$41.2K CHF 32.9K

-3.08%

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

$44.8K CHF 35.8K

$39.8K CHF 31.8K

12.39%

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

$308 CHF 246

$260 CHF 208

18.64%

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

$55.1 CHF 44.04

$36.00 CHF 28.77

53.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 CHF 47.84

$52.4 CHF 41.86

14.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.5 CHF 72.3

$88.2 CHF 70.5

2.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.81 CHF 33.42

Cinema Ticket

$23.10 CHF 18.47

$24.37 CHF 19.48

-5.21%

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

$2,555 CHF 2,042

$2,875 CHF 2,298

-11.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.2K CHF 27.3K

$39.6K CHF 31.6K

-13.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 106

$139 CHF 111

-4.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.4 CHF 69.1

$61.6 CHF 49.23

40.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$175 CHF 140

$149 CHF 119

17.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$234 CHF 187

$199 CHF 159

17.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 CHF 1,684

$1,667 CHF 1,332

26.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CHF 1,186

$1,487 CHF 1,188

-0.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,757 CHF 3,003

$2,853 CHF 2,281

31.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,891 CHF 2,311

$2,471 CHF 1,975

16.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.7K CHF 14.9K

$14.9K CHF 11.9K

25.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.0K CHF 11.2K

$12.7K CHF 10.2K

9.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,072 CHF 6,452

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

2.09

22.01%

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

Last update for Basel: June 8, 2026

Last update for Staefa: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,106 in Basel and $1,667 in Staefa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $155 in Basel vs $148 in Staefa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $691 vs $650 per month, with Staefa 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 Staefa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Staefa wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Staefa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,558 in Basel and $5,134 in Staefa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,106 in Basel versus $1,667 in Staefa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,555 in Basel versus $2,875 in Staefa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Staefa 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 Staefa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,423 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Staefa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Staefa 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 Staefa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.