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: $3,379 in Buchs versus $3,658 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,057 in Buchs versus $5,824 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,734 in Buchs versus $7,989 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 174% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.39 CHF 23.93

$30.22 CHF 24.61

-2.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$131 CHF 106

$157 CHF 128

-16.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 CHF 9.68

$19.82 CHF 16.14

-40.01%

Cappuccino

$3.57 CHF 2.91

$7.03 CHF 5.73

-49.22%

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

$2.52 CHF 2.05

$5.60 CHF 4.56

-55.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 CHF 1.70

$5.11 CHF 4.16

-59.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.50 CHF 3.66

$9.92 CHF 8.08

-54.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CHF 4.26

$7.63 CHF 6.21

-31.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 CHF 1.42

$2.23 CHF 1.82

-21.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 CHF 2.47

$3.73 CHF 3.03

-18.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 CHF 3.43

$5.13 CHF 4.18

-17.74%

Eggs

$5.07 CHF 4.12

$7.88 CHF 6.41

-35.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.56 CHF 24.88

$29.25 CHF 23.81

4.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.87 CHF 12.11

$36.16 CHF 29.44

-58.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.6 CHF 41.17

$43.71 CHF 35.59

15.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 CHF 3.10

$3.86 CHF 3.15

-1.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.66

$2.71 CHF 2.20

-24.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 CHF 2.32

$4.21 CHF 3.42

-32.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.46 CHF 5.26

$6.92 CHF 5.64

-6.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 CHF 1.94

$3.24 CHF 2.64

-26.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 CHF 1.94

$2.85 CHF 2.32

-16.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 CHF 2.18

$2.61 CHF 2.12

2.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CHF 1.04

$1.55 CHF 1.26

-17.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.24 CHF 9.15

$11.90 CHF 9.69

-5.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.88 CHF 10.48

$13.44 CHF 10.94

-4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.94

$2.36 CHF 1.92

1.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 CHF 2.69

$3.12 CHF 2.54

5.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.50 CHF 2.04

$4.65 CHF 3.78

-46.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 CHF 70.9

$107 CHF 87.2

-18.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.93 CHF 6.46

$8.15 CHF 6.64

-2.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.55 CHF 2.89

$4.16 CHF 3.38

-14.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.5 CHF 72.8

$87.0 CHF 70.8

2.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 CHF 1.73

$2.21 CHF 1.80

-4.07%

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

$31.3K CHF 25.5K

$39.8K CHF 32.4K

-21.46%

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

$42.9K CHF 35.0K

$44.5K CHF 36.2K

-3.48%

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

$183 CHF 149

$302 CHF 246

-39.46%

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

$43.01 CHF 35.02

$53.7 CHF 43.72

-19.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 CHF 45.32

$59.1 CHF 48.14

-5.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$146 CHF 119

$88.8 CHF 72.3

64.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.33 CHF 14.11

$41.93 CHF 34.14

-58.67%

Cinema Ticket

$14.75 CHF 12.01

$23.07 CHF 18.79

-36.06%

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

$2,961 CHF 2,411

$2,621 CHF 2,134

12.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.9K CHF 26.8K

$34.6K CHF 28.2K

-4.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 CHF 115

$135 CHF 110

4.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.1 CHF 62.7

$86.8 CHF 70.7

-11.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 CHF 109

$179 CHF 146

-25.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 CHF 129

$233 CHF 190

-32.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,850 CHF 1,506

$2,070 CHF 1,685

-10.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 CHF 1,293

$1,475 CHF 1,201

7.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,744 CHF 2,234

$3,823 CHF 3,113

-28.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,496 CHF 2,032

$2,868 CHF 2,335

-12.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K CHF 14.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,815 CHF 7,177

$7,233 CHF 5,889

21.87%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Basel: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,850 in Buchs and $2,070 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buchs 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: $131 in Buchs vs $157 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $560 vs $688 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 8% 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 22% 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: $1,850 in Buchs versus $2,070 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,961 in Buchs versus $2,621 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 $3,379 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 8% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.