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: $3,393 in Buchs versus $3,682 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,946 in Buchs versus $5,815 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,499 in Buchs versus $7,949 in Basel.

Living in Buchs costs roughly 8% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buchs 153% above, Basel 175% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.66 CHF 23.25

$31.08 CHF 24.37

-4.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 CHF 84.5

$154 CHF 121

-30.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.50 CHF 9.02

$20.09 CHF 15.75

-42.76%

Cappuccino

$3.57 CHF 2.80

$6.99 CHF 5.48

-48.93%

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

$2.47 CHF 1.94

$5.70 CHF 4.47

-56.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 CHF 1.63

$5.04 CHF 3.95

-58.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 CHF 3.68

$9.72 CHF 7.62

-51.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CHF 4.10

$7.54 CHF 5.91

-30.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 CHF 1.37

$2.17 CHF 1.70

-19.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CHF 2.46

$3.70 CHF 2.90

-15.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 CHF 3.19

$4.95 CHF 3.88

-17.78%

Eggs

$4.89 CHF 3.83

$7.99 CHF 6.26

-38.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.23 CHF 23.70

$28.33 CHF 22.21

6.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.82 CHF 11.62

$36.87 CHF 28.91

-59.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.8 CHF 40.60

$44.59 CHF 34.96

16.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 CHF 2.93

$3.83 CHF 3.00

-2.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.62

$2.76 CHF 2.16

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.33

$4.01 CHF 3.14

-25.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.21 CHF 4.87

$7.13 CHF 5.59

-12.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 CHF 1.87

$3.25 CHF 2.55

-26.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 CHF 1.92

$2.83 CHF 2.22

-13.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CHF 2.01

$2.65 CHF 2.08

-3.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 CHF 0.97

$1.55 CHF 1.22

-20.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.21 CHF 8.79

$11.59 CHF 9.08

-3.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.76 CHF 10.79

$15.29 CHF 11.99

-10.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 CHF 1.91

$2.46 CHF 1.93

-1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 CHF 2.62

$3.00 CHF 2.36

11.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CHF 1.91

$4.81 CHF 3.77

-49.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.4 CHF 68.5

$105 CHF 82.2

-16.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.19 CHF 6.42

$7.91 CHF 6.20

3.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.37 CHF 2.64

$4.33 CHF 3.40

-22.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.5 CHF 69.4

$86.4 CHF 67.7

2.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.70

$2.15 CHF 1.69

0.93%

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

$30.8K CHF 24.2K

$41.0K CHF 32.1K

-24.74%

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

$42.3K CHF 33.1K

$45.7K CHF 35.8K

-7.50%

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

$185 CHF 145

$299 CHF 234

-38.09%

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

$42.34 CHF 33.20

$54.1 CHF 42.40

-21.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.5 CHF 44.31

$59.6 CHF 46.69

-5.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$147 CHF 116

$90.5 CHF 70.9

62.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.39 CHF 13.63

$41.79 CHF 32.77

-58.39%

Cinema Ticket

$14.99 CHF 11.75

$22.41 CHF 17.57

-33.11%

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

$2,868 CHF 2,249

$2,607 CHF 2,044

10.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 26.5K

$35.0K CHF 27.4K

-3.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 CHF 108

$135 CHF 106

1.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.5 CHF 59.2

$88.4 CHF 69.3

-14.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 CHF 105

$177 CHF 139

-23.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 CHF 127

$228 CHF 178

-28.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,839 CHF 1,442

$2,067 CHF 1,621

-11.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 CHF 1,252

$1,477 CHF 1,158

8.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,761 CHF 2,165

$3,728 CHF 2,923

-25.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,427 CHF 1,903

$2,817 CHF 2,209

-13.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K CHF 14.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.4K CHF 10.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,225 CHF 7,233

$7,835 CHF 6,143

17.74%

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: April 22, 2026

Last update for Basel: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,839 in Buchs and $2,067 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: $108 in Buchs vs $154 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $562 vs $694 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 9% 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 18% 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: $1,839 in Buchs versus $2,067 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,868 in Buchs versus $2,607 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% 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 $3,393 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 9% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.