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: $3,289 in Buchs versus $3,653 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,945 in Buchs versus $5,857 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,600 in Buchs versus $8,062 in Basel.

Living in Buchs costs roughly 10% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buchs 145% above, Basel 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.59 CHF 23.57

$30.72 CHF 24.47

-3.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 CHF 83.6

$156 CHF 124

-32.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.57 CHF 9.22

$19.37 CHF 15.43

-40.27%

Cappuccino

$3.44 CHF 2.74

$6.75 CHF 5.37

-49.04%

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

$2.51 CHF 2.00

$5.67 CHF 4.52

-55.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 CHF 1.58

$5.02 CHF 4.00

-60.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 CHF 3.60

$10.09 CHF 8.04

-55.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 CHF 4.17

$7.45 CHF 5.93

-29.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 CHF 1.35

$2.24 CHF 1.79

-24.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 CHF 2.40

$3.73 CHF 2.97

-19.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 CHF 3.21

$4.99 CHF 3.98

-19.04%

Eggs

$4.83 CHF 3.85

$8.16 CHF 6.50

-40.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.94 CHF 24.64

$28.67 CHF 22.83

7.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.90 CHF 11.87

$35.93 CHF 28.62

-58.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.6 CHF 40.33

$43.12 CHF 34.35

17.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 CHF 2.86

$3.98 CHF 3.17

-9.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 CHF 1.68

$2.60 CHF 2.07

-18.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.34

$4.24 CHF 3.38

-30.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.15 CHF 4.90

$6.96 CHF 5.54

-11.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 1.93

$3.23 CHF 2.57

-24.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.92

$2.94 CHF 2.34

-18.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 CHF 2.15

$2.51 CHF 2.00

7.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CHF 1.02

$1.55 CHF 1.23

-17.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.08 CHF 8.82

$11.68 CHF 9.30

-5.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 CHF 11.28

$13.81 CHF 11.00

2.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.93

$2.39 CHF 1.90

1.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 CHF 2.73

$3.16 CHF 2.52

8.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 CHF 1.99

$4.58 CHF 3.65

-45.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.2 CHF 68.6

$105 CHF 83.3

-17.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.91 CHF 6.30

$7.99 CHF 6.36

-1.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 CHF 2.79

$4.31 CHF 3.43

-18.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.3 CHF 71.1

$87.2 CHF 69.5

2.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.73

$2.23 CHF 1.77

-2.69%

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

$30.4K CHF 24.2K

$40.4K CHF 32.2K

-24.82%

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

$42.2K CHF 33.6K

$44.3K CHF 35.3K

-4.74%

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

$185 CHF 147

$306 CHF 244

-39.62%

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

$42.94 CHF 34.20

$53.5 CHF 42.63

-19.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 CHF 44.14

$58.9 CHF 46.87

-5.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$150 CHF 119

$90.3 CHF 71.9

66.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.44 CHF 13.89

$42.50 CHF 33.85

-58.96%

Cinema Ticket

$14.57 CHF 11.61

$22.72 CHF 18.10

-35.87%

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

$2,906 CHF 2,315

$2,574 CHF 2,050

12.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.7K CHF 26.8K

$34.0K CHF 27.1K

-0.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 109

$134 CHF 106

2.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.5 CHF 62.6

$88.3 CHF 70.3

-11.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 CHF 106

$181 CHF 144

-26.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 CHF 129

$227 CHF 181

-28.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 CHF 1,452

$2,112 CHF 1,682

-13.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CHF 1,255

$1,519 CHF 1,210

3.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,784 CHF 2,218

$3,828 CHF 3,049

-27.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,489 CHF 1,983

$2,802 CHF 2,232

-11.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,109 CHF 7,256

$8,292 CHF 6,605

9.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

-21.57%

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

Last update for Buchs: May 31, 2026

Last update for Basel: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,823 in Buchs and $2,112 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buchs pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $105 in Buchs vs $156 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $560 vs $685 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 11% 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.

Buchs pays 10% more on average, 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: $1,823 in Buchs versus $2,112 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,906 in Buchs versus $2,574 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 $3,289 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 11% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.