Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Wallisellen

For one person, living is cheaper in Wallisellen: $3,421 a month against $3,669 in Basel, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Basel, Switzerland
Wallisellen, Switzerland
Basel
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,669
/mo nomad
Wallisellen
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,421
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basel and in Wallisellen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Basel and in Wallisellen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,669 in Basel versus $3,421 in Wallisellen.

  • Basel $3,669
  • Wallisellen $3,421

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,649 in Basel versus $5,209 in Wallisellen.

  • Basel $5,649
  • Wallisellen $5,209

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,629 in Basel versus $6,997 in Wallisellen.

  • Basel $7,629
  • Wallisellen $6,997

Living in Basel is roughly 7% more expensive than in Wallisellen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 170% above, Wallisellen 151% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Basel
Wallisellen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$30.27 CHF 25.11
$33.63 CHF 27.90
-9.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$125 CHF 104
$122 CHF 101
2.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$17.91 CHF 14.86
$18.33 CHF 15.20
-2.29%
Cappuccino
$6.52 CHF 5.41
$6.07 CHF 5.04
7.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.47 CHF 5.37
$5.51 CHF 4.57
17.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 CHF 4.90
$4.72 CHF 3.91
25.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.41 CHF 7.81
$8.61 CHF 7.14
9.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.48 CHF 7.87
$9.37 CHF 7.77
1.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Basel
Wallisellen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.29 CHF 1.90
$2.20 CHF 1.82
4.09%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 CHF 2.52
$3.92 CHF 3.25
-22.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.27 CHF 2.72
$4.37 CHF 3.63
-25.17%
Eggs
$7.97 CHF 6.61
$7.53 CHF 6.24
5.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$26.34 CHF 21.85
$26.21 CHF 21.74
0.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$27.32 CHF 22.66
$26.35 CHF 21.86
3.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$41.15 CHF 34.13
$40.67 CHF 33.74
1.18%
Apples (1kg)
$3.70 CHF 3.07
$3.55 CHF 2.94
4.23%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 CHF 1.91
$2.07 CHF 1.72
11.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.03 CHF 2.51
$2.69 CHF 2.23
12.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.54 CHF 3.77
$4.75 CHF 3.94
-4.42%
Potato (1kg)
$1.68 CHF 1.39
$2.04 CHF 1.70
-17.65%
Onion (1kg)
$1.91 CHF 1.58
$2.21 CHF 1.83
-13.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.27 CHF 1.88
$2.39 CHF 1.98
-5.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 CHF 1.32
$1.20 CHF 1.00
33.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.15 CHF 9.25
$10.96 CHF 9.09
1.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.90 CHF 9.87
$12.81 CHF 10.63
-7.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.44 CHF 2.03
$2.36 CHF 1.96
3.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.03 CHF 2.52
$3.33 CHF 2.76
-9.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Basel
Wallisellen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.21 CHF 4.33
$4.23 CHF 3.51
23.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$105 CHF 86.9
$103 CHF 85.7
1.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.98 CHF 6.62
$5.47 CHF 4.54
45.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.61 CHF 3.83
$3.32 CHF 2.75
38.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$83.3 CHF 69.1
$61.4 CHF 50.9
35.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.42 CHF 2.01
$2.28 CHF 1.89
6.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.3K CHF 31.8K
$38.8K CHF 32.2K
-1.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.0K CHF 33.2K
$39.5K CHF 32.7K
1.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Basel
Wallisellen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$296 CHF 245
$230 CHF 191
28.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$46.31 CHF 38.42
$31.55 CHF 26.17
46.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.2 CHF 52.4
$65.0 CHF 53.9
-2.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Basel
Wallisellen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$82.0 CHF 68.0
$88.1 CHF 73.1
-6.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$58.3 CHF 48.33
$46.35 CHF 38.45
25.70%
Cinema Ticket
$22.84 CHF 18.95
$21.46 CHF 17.81
6.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Basel
Wallisellen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,139 CHF 2,604
$1,786 CHF 1,482
75.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$32.6K CHF 27.1K
$32.1K CHF 26.6K
1.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Basel
Wallisellen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$144 CHF 120
$142 CHF 117
1.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$79.9 CHF 66.3
$86.7 CHF 72.0
-7.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$159 CHF 132
$147 CHF 122
8.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$195 CHF 162
$175 CHF 145
11.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Basel
Wallisellen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,087 CHF 1,732
$1,758 CHF 1,459
18.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,646 CHF 1,366
$1,490 CHF 1,236
10.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,618 CHF 3,001
$2,966 CHF 2,461
21.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,966 CHF 2,461
$2,477 CHF 2,055
19.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$17.5K CHF 14.5K
$16.6K CHF 13.8K
5.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$13.7K CHF 11.4K
$12.3K CHF 10.2K
11.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Basel
Wallisellen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$7,080 CHF 5,873
$8,448 CHF 7,009
-16.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.42
1.72
40.70%

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

Last update for Basel: October 25, 2026

Last update for Wallisellen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Basel
$1.6K
Wallisellen
$1.5K 9.5% $157
Groceries & Markets
Basel
$584
Wallisellen
$584 0.1% $0.7
Eating Out
Basel
$490
Wallisellen
$500 2% $10
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Basel
$405
Wallisellen
$326 19.4% $79
Clothing & Footwear
Basel
$261
Wallisellen
$247 5.1% $13
Getting Around
Basel
$157
Wallisellen
$142 9.1% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Basel
$128
Wallisellen
$131 2.6% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,087 in Basel and $1,758 in Wallisellen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wallisellen pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $125 in Basel vs $122 in Wallisellen. Groceries flip the comparison at $584 vs $584, with Basel cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇭 Basel
🇨🇭 Wallisellen
🕒 Local time
19:39 7:39 PM
19:39 7:39 PM
Same time as Basel
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
174,491
15,603
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.924 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Basel Wallisellen 77 km
From you
  • Basel
  • Wallisellen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Which city is more expensive, Basel or Wallisellen?
Wallisellen wins on cost – living expenses run 7% 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.
Are salaries higher in Basel or in Wallisellen?
On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Basel. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Basel compared to Wallisellen?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,087 in Basel versus $1,758 in Wallisellen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Basel and in Wallisellen?
Childcare runs $3,139 in Basel versus $1,786 in Wallisellen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How much does it cost to live in Basel compared to Wallisellen?
All in, you’ll spend $3,669 per month in Basel versus $3,421 in Wallisellen – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Basel or in Wallisellen?
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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Basel or Wallisellen?
Both work as nomad bases, but Wallisellen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,421 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Wallisellen hard to pass up.
How safe is Basel compared to Wallisellen?
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.

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