Cost of Living Comparison Between Buchs and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Buchs and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,131 in Buchs versus $3,566 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,705 in Buchs versus $5,581 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,279 in Buchs versus $7,595 in Basel.

Living in Buchs costs roughly 12% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buchs 128% above, Basel 160% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.41 CHF 19.75

$29.61 CHF 23.95

-17.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.8 CHF 71.0

$128 CHF 103

-31.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.70 CHF 12.70

$18.47 CHF 14.94

-15.00%

Cappuccino

$4.65 CHF 3.77

$6.76 CHF 5.47

-31.21%

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

$3.99 CHF 3.23

$6.33 CHF 5.12

-36.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 CHF 2.64

$6.15 CHF 4.98

-46.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.22 CHF 5.03

$8.91 CHF 7.21

-30.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 CHF 4.52

$9.93 CHF 8.03

-43.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 CHF 1.66

$2.34 CHF 1.90

-11.97%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 CHF 3.26

$3.22 CHF 2.60

25.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 CHF 3.80

$3.36 CHF 2.72

39.88%

Eggs

$7.49 CHF 6.06

$8.03 CHF 6.50

-6.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$33.16 CHF 26.83

$26.94 CHF 21.79

23.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.51 CHF 14.97

$27.83 CHF 22.51

-33.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.43 CHF 27.05

$41.82 CHF 33.83

-20.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 CHF 2.83

$3.60 CHF 2.91

-2.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 CHF 1.86

$2.35 CHF 1.90

-2.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.61

$3.12 CHF 2.53

3.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.98 CHF 5.65

$4.84 CHF 3.91

44.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 CHF 1.46

$1.73 CHF 1.40

4.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 CHF 2.17

$2.07 CHF 1.67

29.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CHF 2.11

$2.33 CHF 1.88

12.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 CHF 1.00

$1.63 CHF 1.32

-23.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.24 CHF 9.09

$11.39 CHF 9.21

-1.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 CHF 10.83

$12.41 CHF 10.04

7.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.56

$2.62 CHF 2.12

20.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 CHF 3.24

$3.21 CHF 2.60

24.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.16 CHF 4.18

$4.60 CHF 3.72

12.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 87.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.56 CHF 4.50

$8.16 CHF 6.60

-31.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.45 CHF 2.79

$4.67 CHF 3.78

-26.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.9 CHF 49.28

$85.9 CHF 69.5

-29.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.86

$2.27 CHF 1.84

0.88%

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

$43.4K CHF 35.1K

$43.8K CHF 35.5K

-0.93%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.9K

$39.8K CHF 32.2K

2.11%

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

$183 CHF 148

$304 CHF 246

-39.68%

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

$32.10 CHF 25.97

$54.2 CHF 43.83

-40.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 CHF 55.9

$64.7 CHF 52.3

6.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.3 CHF 67.4

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.5 CHF 47.33

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 CHF 12.71

$23.78 CHF 19.24

-33.94%

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

$620 CHF 501

$3,055 CHF 2,472

-79.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K CHF 16.9K

$32.6K CHF 26.4K

-35.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 CHF 89.5

$147 CHF 119

-24.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.98 CHF 20.21

$81.7 CHF 66.1

-69.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 CHF 80.1

$166 CHF 135

-40.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$175 CHF 141

$206 CHF 167

-15.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 CHF 1,478

$2,095 CHF 1,695

-12.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,623 CHF 1,313

$1,529 CHF 1,237

6.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,796 CHF 2,262

$3,547 CHF 2,870

-21.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,828 CHF 2,288

$2,865 CHF 2,318

-1.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 14.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.8K CHF 12.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,717 CHF 7,052

$7,405 CHF 5,990

17.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.93

2.43

-20.58%

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

Last update for Buchs: September 1, 2026

Last update for Basel: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,827 in Buchs and $2,095 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buchs 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: $88.0 in Buchs vs $128 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $568 vs $598 per month, with Buchs 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

Buchs vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buchs wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Buchs the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Buchs, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,827 in Buchs versus $2,095 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $620 in Buchs versus $3,055 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Buchs – a meal for two runs $88.0 versus $128 in Basel. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Buchs 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 Buchs delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,131 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Buchs hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Buchs and Basel 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 Buchs gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.