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: $3,658 in Basel versus $3,444 in Staefa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,824 in Basel versus $5,370 in Staefa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,989 in Basel versus $7,295 in Staefa.

Living in Basel is roughly 6% more expensive than in Staefa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 174% above, Staefa 158% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.22 CHF 24.71

$31.05 CHF 25.39

-2.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$157 CHF 128

$148 CHF 121

6.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.82 CHF 16.21

$18.71 CHF 15.30

5.93%

Cappuccino

$7.03 CHF 5.75

$6.44 CHF 5.26

9.16%

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

$5.60 CHF 4.58

$5.66 CHF 4.63

-1.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 CHF 4.18

$5.38 CHF 4.40

-5.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.92 CHF 8.11

$7.58 CHF 6.20

30.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 CHF 6.24

$6.92 CHF 5.66

10.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.83

$2.25 CHF 1.84

-0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 3.05

$2.76 CHF 2.26

35.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 CHF 4.20

$3.50 CHF 2.87

46.57%

Eggs

$7.88 CHF 6.44

$8.14 CHF 6.66

-3.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.25 CHF 23.91

$27.56 CHF 22.53

6.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.16 CHF 29.57

$32.68 CHF 26.72

10.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.71 CHF 35.74

$50.1 CHF 40.97

-12.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 CHF 3.16

$3.17 CHF 2.59

21.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 CHF 2.21

$2.81 CHF 2.30

-3.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CHF 3.44

$3.00 CHF 2.45

40.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.92 CHF 5.66

$5.17 CHF 4.23

33.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 CHF 2.65

$2.82 CHF 2.30

14.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 CHF 2.33

$2.34 CHF 1.91

21.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CHF 2.13

$2.53 CHF 2.07

3.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.27

$1.27 CHF 1.04

22.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.90 CHF 9.73

$11.29 CHF 9.23

5.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.44 CHF 10.99

$13.46 CHF 11.01

-0.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 CHF 1.93

$2.67 CHF 2.18

-11.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CHF 2.55

$2.32 CHF 1.89

34.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.65 CHF 3.80

$3.83 CHF 3.13

21.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 CHF 87.6

$99.0 CHF 81.0

8.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.15 CHF 6.67

$6.68 CHF 5.46

22.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.16 CHF 3.40

$4.17 CHF 3.41

-0.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.0 CHF 71.1

$42.69 CHF 34.91

103.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.81

$2.22 CHF 1.82

-0.45%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.5K

$40.0K CHF 32.7K

-0.62%

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

$44.5K CHF 36.4K

$40.1K CHF 32.8K

10.86%

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

$302 CHF 247

$260 CHF 213

16.24%

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

$53.7 CHF 43.91

$35.12 CHF 28.72

52.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 CHF 48.35

$53.9 CHF 44.09

9.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.8 CHF 72.6

$89.6 CHF 73.3

-0.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.93 CHF 34.29

Cinema Ticket

$23.07 CHF 18.87

$24.96 CHF 20.41

-7.57%

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

$2,621 CHF 2,143

$2,865 CHF 2,343

-8.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 28.3K

$39.5K CHF 32.3K

-12.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 111

$140 CHF 114

-3.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.8 CHF 71.0

$61.1 CHF 49.95

42.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$179 CHF 146

$145 CHF 119

23.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 CHF 191

$198 CHF 162

17.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 CHF 1,692

$1,710 CHF 1,398

21.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 CHF 1,206

$1,466 CHF 1,199

0.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,823 CHF 3,126

$2,797 CHF 2,287

36.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,868 CHF 2,345

$2,423 CHF 1,981

18.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K CHF 14.8K

$16.1K CHF 13.2K

12.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.9K

$10.8K CHF 8,798

35.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,233 CHF 5,914

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Staefa: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,070 in Basel and $1,710 in Staefa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $157 in Basel vs $148 in Staefa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $688 vs $647 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 6% 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 $5,487 in Basel and $5,166 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: $2,070 in Basel versus $1,710 in Staefa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,621 in Basel versus $2,865 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 $3,444 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 6% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.