Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Turgi Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Turgi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,662 in Basel versus $3,456 in Turgi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,770 in Basel versus $5,362 in Turgi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,878 in Basel versus $7,269 in Turgi.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 175% above, Turgi 159% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.78 CHF 24.77

$37.16 CHF 29.91

-17.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$151 CHF 122

$144 CHF 116

5.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.10 CHF 16.18

$15.87 CHF 12.77

26.65%

Cappuccino

$7.02 CHF 5.65

$6.38 CHF 5.13

10.03%

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

$5.74 CHF 4.62

$5.31 CHF 4.28

8.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CHF 4.21

$4.23 CHF 3.41

23.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.01 CHF 8.05

$8.67 CHF 6.98

15.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 CHF 5.98

$7.18 CHF 5.78

3.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.74

$2.32 CHF 1.86

-6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 3.00

$3.41 CHF 2.74

9.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.90 CHF 3.94

$2.27 CHF 1.83

115.86%

Eggs

$7.76 CHF 6.24

$5.64 CHF 4.54

37.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.65 CHF 23.06

$30.75 CHF 24.75

-6.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.21 CHF 29.95

$34.97 CHF 28.15

6.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.04 CHF 35.45

$51.8 CHF 41.72

-15.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 CHF 3.14

$2.33 CHF 1.88

67.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 CHF 2.13

$2.35 CHF 1.89

12.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 CHF 3.26

$2.86 CHF 2.31

41.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.08 CHF 5.70

$2.36 CHF 1.90

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 CHF 2.65

$2.51 CHF 2.02

31.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.38

$2.34 CHF 1.89

26.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.03

$2.56 CHF 2.06

-1.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.25

$1.21 CHF 0.98

28.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.89 CHF 9.57

$4.53 CHF 3.64

162.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 CHF 11.21

$7.05 CHF 5.68

97.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.95

$2.27 CHF 1.83

6.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CHF 2.46

$2.36 CHF 1.90

29.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.77 CHF 3.84

$4.00 CHF 3.22

19.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 84.2

$98.0 CHF 78.9

6.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.85 CHF 6.32

$8.24 CHF 6.63

-4.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.44

$4.49 CHF 3.61

-4.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.9 CHF 69.2

$87.1 CHF 70.1

-1.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.80

$2.13 CHF 1.71

5.16%

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

$40.4K CHF 32.5K

$40.8K CHF 32.8K

-0.86%

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

$45.6K CHF 36.7K

$42.3K CHF 34.0K

7.99%

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

$302 CHF 243

$251 CHF 202

20.65%

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

$53.5 CHF 43.10

$74.8 CHF 60.2

-28.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 CHF 47.31

$57.2 CHF 46.02

2.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.0 CHF 73.2

$88.3 CHF 71.1

3.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.16 CHF 33.93

Cinema Ticket

$22.71 CHF 18.28

$22.46 CHF 18.08

1.11%

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

$2,604 CHF 2,096

$2,930 CHF 2,358

-11.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 27.9K

$42.9K CHF 34.6K

-19.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 107

$140 CHF 113

-5.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.7 CHF 72.2

$75.7 CHF 60.9

18.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 CHF 145

$131 CHF 105

37.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$231 CHF 186

$163 CHF 131

41.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 CHF 1,666

$1,715 CHF 1,381

20.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,499 CHF 1,207

$1,465 CHF 1,179

2.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,839 CHF 3,090

$2,777 CHF 2,235

38.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,849 CHF 2,294

$2,421 CHF 1,949

17.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.1K CHF 16.2K

$17.5K CHF 14.1K

14.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.1K CHF 12.2K

$14.8K CHF 11.9K

2.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,059 CHF 6,487

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Turgi: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,070 in Basel and $1,715 in Turgi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $151 in Basel vs $144 in Turgi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $691 vs $628 per month, with Turgi 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 Turgi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $5,493 in Basel and $5,184 in Turgi 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 $1,715 in Turgi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,604 in Basel versus $2,930 in Turgi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% 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. Turgi 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 Turgi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,456 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Turgi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Turgi 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 Turgi 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.