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: $3,725 in Basel versus $3,424 in Wallisellen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,789 in Basel versus $5,340 in Wallisellen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,853 in Basel versus $7,255 in Wallisellen.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 180% above, Wallisellen 157% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.01 CHF 25.23

$30.33 CHF 24.67

2.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 125

$147 CHF 119

4.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.45 CHF 15.82

$18.12 CHF 14.74

7.34%

Cappuccino

$6.66 CHF 5.42

$6.47 CHF 5.27

2.94%

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

$5.74 CHF 4.67

$5.65 CHF 4.59

1.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CHF 4.07

$5.11 CHF 4.16

-2.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.58 CHF 7.79

$7.45 CHF 6.06

28.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.70 CHF 6.26

$8.64 CHF 7.03

-10.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.81

$2.23 CHF 1.81

-0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 CHF 3.04

$3.38 CHF 2.75

10.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.00 CHF 4.07

$3.54 CHF 2.88

41.24%

Eggs

$7.91 CHF 6.44

$7.25 CHF 5.89

9.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.24 CHF 23.79

$27.17 CHF 22.10

7.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.30 CHF 30.34

$32.09 CHF 26.10

16.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.14 CHF 35.09

$41.68 CHF 33.90

3.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 CHF 3.13

$3.18 CHF 2.59

20.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.12

$1.83 CHF 1.49

42.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 CHF 3.29

$2.46 CHF 2.00

64.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.86 CHF 5.58

$5.19 CHF 4.22

32.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 CHF 2.62

$2.52 CHF 2.05

27.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CHF 2.31

$2.26 CHF 1.84

25.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CHF 2.14

$2.55 CHF 2.07

3.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$1.14 CHF 0.93

30.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 CHF 9.40

$10.93 CHF 8.89

5.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.33 CHF 10.85

$12.98 CHF 10.55

2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CHF 1.90

$2.26 CHF 1.84

3.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.47

$2.31 CHF 1.88

31.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 CHF 3.71

$3.99 CHF 3.25

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 87.5

$99.5 CHF 80.9

8.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.05 CHF 6.55

$6.85 CHF 5.57

17.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.19 CHF 3.41

$4.27 CHF 3.48

-1.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.8 CHF 69.8

$78.9 CHF 64.1

8.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.78

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

$40.7K CHF 33.1K

$39.7K CHF 32.3K

2.45%

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

$44.9K CHF 36.5K

$39.7K CHF 32.3K

13.09%

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

$303 CHF 246

$260 CHF 211

16.54%

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

$53.2 CHF 43.24

$35.27 CHF 28.69

50.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 CHF 47.61

$52.9 CHF 43.02

10.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.7 CHF 73.8

$88.0 CHF 71.6

3.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.34 CHF 34.44

$46.12 CHF 37.52

-8.20%

Cinema Ticket

$22.39 CHF 18.21

$24.19 CHF 19.67

-7.44%

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

$2,538 CHF 2,065

$2,801 CHF 2,278

-9.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K CHF 28.0K

$39.9K CHF 32.5K

-13.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$138 CHF 112

-2.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.2 CHF 72.5

$61.9 CHF 50.3

44.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$175 CHF 142

$147 CHF 120

18.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 184

$204 CHF 166

10.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 CHF 1,712

$1,712 CHF 1,393

22.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 CHF 1,218

$1,496 CHF 1,217

0.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,749 CHF 3,049

$2,804 CHF 2,281

33.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,888 CHF 2,349

$2,426 CHF 1,973

19.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K CHF 14.9K

$14.3K CHF 11.6K

28.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.3K CHF 11.6K

$12.9K CHF 10.5K

10.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,099 CHF 5,775

$8,665 CHF 7,048

-18.07%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Wallisellen: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,105 in Basel and $1,712 in Wallisellen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wallisellen pays 22% 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 $147 in Wallisellen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $689 vs $607 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, salaries run 22% lower in Wallisellen. 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: $2,105 in Basel versus $1,712 in Wallisellen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,538 in Basel versus $2,801 in Wallisellen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% 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 $3,424 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.