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: $3,741 in Basel versus $3,551 in Turgi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,905 in Basel versus $5,359 in Turgi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,069 in Basel versus $7,168 in Turgi.

Living in Basel is roughly 5% more expensive than Turgi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 179% above, Turgi 165% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.45 CHF 24.09

$37.38 CHF 29.57

-18.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$152 CHF 121

$139 CHF 110

9.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.99 CHF 15.81

$15.70 CHF 12.42

27.32%

Cappuccino

$6.65 CHF 5.26

$6.51 CHF 5.15

2.15%

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

$5.68 CHF 4.50

$5.34 CHF 4.22

6.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CHF 4.14

$4.29 CHF 3.40

21.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.58 CHF 7.57

$8.50 CHF 6.73

12.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 CHF 6.04

$7.21 CHF 5.70

5.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.75

$2.32 CHF 1.83

-4.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 CHF 3.03

$3.44 CHF 2.72

11.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 CHF 4.10

$2.29 CHF 1.81

126.20%

Eggs

$8.09 CHF 6.40

$5.44 CHF 4.30

48.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.36 CHF 22.43

$31.04 CHF 24.56

-8.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.13 CHF 29.37

$35.48 CHF 28.07

4.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.06 CHF 34.85

$50.6 CHF 40.06

-12.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 CHF 3.02

$2.37 CHF 1.87

60.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 CHF 2.11

$2.33 CHF 1.84

14.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.29

$2.88 CHF 2.28

44.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.53

$2.26 CHF 1.79

209.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 CHF 2.57

$2.46 CHF 1.95

31.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.34

$2.29 CHF 1.82

29.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CHF 2.00

$2.65 CHF 2.10

-4.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CHF 1.24

$1.28 CHF 1.02

22.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.73 CHF 9.28

$4.66 CHF 3.69

151.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 CHF 11.94

$7.22 CHF 5.71

109.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$2.25 CHF 1.78

4.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CHF 2.41

$2.28 CHF 1.80

33.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 CHF 3.60

$3.88 CHF 3.07

17.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.9

$99.5 CHF 78.7

5.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 CHF 6.29

$8.14 CHF 6.44

-2.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.38

$4.52 CHF 3.58

-5.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.8 CHF 67.8

$88.0 CHF 69.6

-2.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.78

$2.13 CHF 1.68

5.16%

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

$39.6K CHF 31.3K

$40.7K CHF 32.2K

-2.55%

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

$44.8K CHF 35.4K

$43.0K CHF 34.0K

4.11%

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

$309 CHF 244

$252 CHF 199

22.85%

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

$53.1 CHF 42.03

$73.3 CHF 58.0

-27.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 CHF 47.79

$55.4 CHF 43.79

9.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.0 CHF 72.0

$86.7 CHF 68.6

5.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.48 CHF 33.60

Cinema Ticket

$23.06 CHF 18.24

$22.48 CHF 17.78

2.58%

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

$2,609 CHF 2,064

$2,914 CHF 2,305

-10.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K CHF 27.5K

$42.9K CHF 33.9K

-18.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 105

$138 CHF 109

-3.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.1 CHF 68.9

$77.2 CHF 61.0

12.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 138

$133 CHF 105

31.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$231 CHF 182

$162 CHF 128

42.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 CHF 1,682

$1,702 CHF 1,346

24.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 CHF 1,157

$1,446 CHF 1,143

1.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,757 CHF 2,971

$2,787 CHF 2,204

34.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,789 CHF 2,206

$2,448 CHF 1,936

13.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.9K CHF 14.2K

$14.8K CHF 11.7K

21.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.3K CHF 10.5K

$10.9K CHF 8,597

22.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,988 CHF 6,318

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Turgi: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,126 in Basel and $1,702 in Turgi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $152 in Basel vs $139 in Turgi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $696 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 5% 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 $5,612 in Basel and $5,327 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: $2,126 in Basel versus $1,702 in Turgi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,609 in Basel versus $2,914 in Turgi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% 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 $3,551 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 5% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.