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: $3,544 in Basel versus $3,521 in Turgi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,518 in Basel versus $5,400 in Turgi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,492 in Basel versus $7,278 in Turgi.

Living in Basel is roughly 1% more expensive than in Turgi, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 157% above, Turgi 155% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.93 CHF 24.42

$29.70 CHF 24.24

0.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 102

$129 CHF 105

-2.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.69 CHF 15.25

$18.72 CHF 15.27

-0.16%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.49

$6.55 CHF 5.34

2.75%

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

$6.33 CHF 5.17

$6.35 CHF 5.18

-0.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 CHF 4.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.34 CHF 7.62

$9.36 CHF 7.64

-0.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 CHF 8.22

$9.62 CHF 7.85

4.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.89

$2.33 CHF 1.90

-0.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 CHF 2.49

$3.07 CHF 2.50

-0.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 CHF 2.71

$3.41 CHF 2.78

-2.64%

Eggs

$8.34 CHF 6.80

$8.10 CHF 6.61

2.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.21 CHF 21.39

$26.96 CHF 22.00

-2.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.85 CHF 22.73

$28.07 CHF 22.91

-0.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.56 CHF 34.73

$41.34 CHF 33.74

2.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 CHF 2.99

$3.79 CHF 3.09

-3.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.96

$2.29 CHF 1.87

4.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 CHF 2.44

$3.01 CHF 2.46

-0.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 CHF 3.94

$4.85 CHF 3.96

-0.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CHF 1.46

$1.76 CHF 1.44

1.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 CHF 1.59

$1.96 CHF 1.60

-0.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.90

$2.24 CHF 1.83

4.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.36

$1.65 CHF 1.34

0.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CHF 9.49

$11.77 CHF 9.61

-1.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 CHF 9.99

$12.47 CHF 10.18

-1.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

$2.57 CHF 2.10

-3.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.59

$3.18 CHF 2.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 CHF 3.63

$4.50 CHF 3.67

-1.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 88.3

$96.4 CHF 78.6

12.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.52

$8.21 CHF 6.70

-2.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.59 CHF 3.75

$4.67 CHF 3.81

-1.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.0 CHF 71.8

$87.8 CHF 71.7

0.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.87

$2.39 CHF 1.95

-4.18%

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

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

$44.1K CHF 36.0K

0.42%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.3K

$40.1K CHF 32.7K

-1.13%

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

$299 CHF 244

$295 CHF 241

1.22%

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

$53.3 CHF 43.47

$54.6 CHF 44.55

-2.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 CHF 53.9

$66.3 CHF 54.1

-0.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.8 CHF 70.0

-0.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.0 CHF 48.17

$51.7 CHF 42.19

14.18%

Cinema Ticket

$23.81 CHF 19.44

$23.28 CHF 19.00

2.28%

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

$3,026 CHF 2,470

$3,010 CHF 2,456

0.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

$32.9K CHF 26.8K

1.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 120

$148 CHF 121

-1.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.6 CHF 66.6

$81.3 CHF 66.3

0.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 CHF 134

$168 CHF 137

-2.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 162

$204 CHF 167

-2.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 CHF 1,747

$1,851 CHF 1,511

15.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CHF 1,247

$1,351 CHF 1,103

13.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,615 CHF 2,950

$3,157 CHF 2,576

14.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,890 CHF 2,358

$2,420 CHF 1,975

19.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

$16.3K CHF 13.3K

12.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

$13.5K CHF 11.0K

7.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,336 CHF 5,987

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

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

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Last update for Turgi: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,141 in Basel and $1,851 in Turgi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $125 in Basel vs $129 in Turgi. Groceries flip the comparison at $597 vs $596, with Turgi cheaper for home cooking.

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 1% 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 $5,316 in Basel and $5,282 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: $2,141 in Basel versus $1,851 in Turgi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,026 in Basel versus $3,010 in Turgi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% 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 $3,521 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 1% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.