Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Wallisellen Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Wallisellen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,682 in Basel versus $3,371 in Wallisellen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,815 in Basel versus $5,219 in Wallisellen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,949 in Basel versus $7,068 in Wallisellen.

Living in Basel is roughly 9% more expensive than Wallisellen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 175% above, Wallisellen 152% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.08 CHF 24.37

$30.32 CHF 23.77

2.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 121

$148 CHF 116

4.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.09 CHF 15.75

$18.30 CHF 14.35

9.78%

Cappuccino

$6.99 CHF 5.48

$6.46 CHF 5.06

8.20%

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

$5.70 CHF 4.47

$5.75 CHF 4.50

-0.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 CHF 3.95

$5.36 CHF 4.20

-5.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.72 CHF 7.62

$7.30 CHF 5.73

33.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.54 CHF 5.91

$8.57 CHF 6.72

-12.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.70

$2.25 CHF 1.76

-3.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.70 CHF 2.90

$3.37 CHF 2.64

9.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.95 CHF 3.88

$3.55 CHF 2.78

39.44%

Eggs

$7.99 CHF 6.26

$7.31 CHF 5.73

9.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.33 CHF 22.21

$27.15 CHF 21.29

4.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.87 CHF 28.91

$31.76 CHF 24.90

16.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.59 CHF 34.96

$41.06 CHF 32.19

8.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 CHF 3.00

$3.12 CHF 2.45

22.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 CHF 2.16

$1.90 CHF 1.49

45.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 CHF 3.14

$2.45 CHF 1.92

63.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.13 CHF 5.59

$5.22 CHF 4.09

36.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 CHF 2.55

$2.58 CHF 2.02

25.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 CHF 2.22

$2.30 CHF 1.80

23.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 CHF 2.08

$2.58 CHF 2.02

2.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$1.10 CHF 0.86

40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.59 CHF 9.08

$11.02 CHF 8.64

5.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 CHF 11.99

$11.61 CHF 9.10

31.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 CHF 1.93

$2.24 CHF 1.76

9.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 CHF 2.36

$2.31 CHF 1.81

29.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.81 CHF 3.77

$3.97 CHF 3.11

21.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.2

$99.0 CHF 77.6

5.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.91 CHF 6.20

$6.62 CHF 5.19

19.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.33 CHF 3.40

$4.22 CHF 3.31

2.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.4 CHF 67.7

$79.7 CHF 62.5

8.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.69

$2.13 CHF 1.67

0.94%

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

$41.0K CHF 32.1K

$41.1K CHF 32.2K

-0.33%

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

$45.7K CHF 35.8K

$39.3K CHF 30.8K

16.20%

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

$299 CHF 234

$259 CHF 203

15.23%

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

$54.1 CHF 42.40

$35.93 CHF 28.17

50.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 CHF 46.69

$54.2 CHF 42.49

9.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.5 CHF 70.9

$87.9 CHF 68.9

2.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.79 CHF 32.77

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 CHF 17.57

$24.71 CHF 19.37

-9.31%

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

$2,607 CHF 2,044

$2,795 CHF 2,191

-6.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.0K CHF 27.4K

$38.8K CHF 30.4K

-9.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 106

$137 CHF 107

-1.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.4 CHF 69.3

$61.9 CHF 48.51

42.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$177 CHF 139

$147 CHF 115

20.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$228 CHF 178

$201 CHF 158

13.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,067 CHF 1,621

$1,711 CHF 1,341

20.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,477 CHF 1,158

$1,479 CHF 1,159

-0.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,728 CHF 2,923

$2,866 CHF 2,247

30.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,817 CHF 2,209

$2,457 CHF 1,926

14.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K CHF 14.2K

$14.1K CHF 11.1K

28.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.4K CHF 10.5K

$11.5K CHF 8,991

16.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,835 CHF 6,143

$9,283 CHF 7,278

-15.60%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Wallisellen: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,067 in Basel and $1,711 in Wallisellen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wallisellen pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $154 in Basel vs $148 in Wallisellen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $694 vs $601 per month, with Wallisellen 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 Wallisellen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wallisellen wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Wallisellen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Wallisellen earns 18% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,067 in Basel versus $1,711 in Wallisellen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,607 in Basel versus $2,795 in Wallisellen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% 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. Wallisellen 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 Wallisellen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,371 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Wallisellen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Wallisellen 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 Wallisellen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.