Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubendorf and Basel

For one person, living is cheaper in Basel: $3,461 a month against $3,678 in Dubendorf, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Dubendorf outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

180

Cost of Living Index in Dubendorf
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Dubendorf Living Index
169

Cost of Living Index in Basel
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Basel Living Index

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Dubendorf

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,678

/mo nomad

Basel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,461

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubendorf and in Basel

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,678 in Dubendorf versus $3,461 in Basel.

Dubendorf $3,678
Basel $3,461

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,457 in Dubendorf versus $5,427 in Basel.

Dubendorf $5,457
Basel $5,427

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,236 in Dubendorf versus $7,394 in Basel.

Dubendorf $7,236
Basel $7,394

Living in Dubendorf is roughly 6% more expensive than in Basel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubendorf 172% above, Basel 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.44 CHF 24.24

$29.60 CHF 24.38

-0.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 CHF 97.4

$123 CHF 102

-4.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.26 CHF 13.39

$17.93 CHF 14.77

-9.31%

Cappuccino

$5.92 CHF 4.88

$6.21 CHF 5.12

-4.67%

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

$5.47 CHF 4.50

$6.50 CHF 5.35

-15.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 CHF 4.02

$5.77 CHF 4.75

-15.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.23 CHF 6.78

$9.20 CHF 7.58

-10.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.44 CHF 5.30

$9.79 CHF 8.07

-34.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 CHF 1.73

$2.26 CHF 1.86

-7.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 CHF 3.23

$3.12 CHF 2.57

25.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.62 CHF 3.81

$3.17 CHF 2.61

45.74%

Eggs

$7.33 CHF 6.04

$7.83 CHF 6.45

-6.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$32.45 CHF 26.72

$26.04 CHF 21.45

24.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.18 CHF 21.56

$26.78 CHF 22.05

-2.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.54 CHF 35.03

$40.31 CHF 33.20

5.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 CHF 2.94

$3.52 CHF 2.90

1.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.73

$2.34 CHF 1.92

-10.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 CHF 2.56

$2.96 CHF 2.44

5.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.00 CHF 5.76

$4.52 CHF 3.72

54.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.05

$1.72 CHF 1.42

44.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.78

$1.89 CHF 1.56

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.07

$2.24 CHF 1.84

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 CHF 1.15

$1.61 CHF 1.33

-13.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.91 CHF 8.98

$11.08 CHF 9.13

-1.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.34 CHF 10.98

$11.84 CHF 9.75

12.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CHF 1.93

$2.52 CHF 2.08

-7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 CHF 2.83

$2.97 CHF 2.44

15.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 CHF 1.93

$4.53 CHF 3.73

-48.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.20 CHF 39.69

$105 CHF 86.5

-54.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 CHF 4.42

$7.95 CHF 6.54

-32.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 CHF 2.82

$4.51 CHF 3.71

-23.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.6 CHF 49.90

$84.6 CHF 69.7

-28.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.86

$2.31 CHF 1.91

-2.60%

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

$41.8K CHF 34.5K

$42.3K CHF 34.8K

-1.02%

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

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

0.78%

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

$235 CHF 194

$292 CHF 240

-19.37%

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

$31.38 CHF 25.84

$46.45 CHF 38.25

-32.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 CHF 53.7

$61.9 CHF 51.0

5.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$121 CHF 99.5

$81.1 CHF 66.8

48.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$78.7 CHF 64.8

$58.5 CHF 48.17

34.59%

Cinema Ticket

$24.26 CHF 19.98

$22.48 CHF 18.52

7.92%

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

$1,777 CHF 1,463

$2,993 CHF 2,465

-40.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K CHF 26.7K

$32.0K CHF 26.3K

1.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$140 CHF 115

$142 CHF 117

-1.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.0 CHF 71.6

$77.1 CHF 63.5

12.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 CHF 120

$159 CHF 131

-8.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 CHF 142

$198 CHF 163

-12.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 CHF 1,486

$1,953 CHF 1,609

-7.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 CHF 1,462

$1,465 CHF 1,207

21.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 CHF 2,316

$3,586 CHF 2,954

-21.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,763 CHF 2,275

$2,796 CHF 2,302

-1.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K CHF 9,902

$18.1K CHF 14.9K

-33.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,098 CHF 5,846

$14.3K CHF 11.8K

-50.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,844 CHF 3,166

$6,863 CHF 5,652

-43.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.48

2.42

2.48%

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

Last update for Dubendorf: October 12, 2026

Last update for Basel: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Dubendorf

$1.8K 48.3%

Basel

$1.5K 42.4% 17.5% $310

Groceries & Markets

Dubendorf

$626 17%

Basel

$576 16.7% 7.9% $49

Eating Out

Dubendorf

$451 12.3%

Basel

$480 13.9% 6.4% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubendorf

$332 9%

Basel

$400 11.6% 20.6% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Dubendorf

$245 6.7%

Basel

$260 7.5% 5.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Dubendorf

$169 4.6%

Basel

$126 3.6% 25.5% $43

Getting Around

Dubendorf

$80 2.2%

Basel

$154 4.4% 91.8% $74

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,805 in Dubendorf and $1,953 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 79% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $118 in Dubendorf vs $123 in Basel. Groceries flip the comparison at $626 vs $576, with Basel cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Dubendorf

🇨🇭 Basel

🕒 Local time

05:35 5:35 AM

Same time as Dubendorf

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,759

174,491

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Dubendorf Basel 80 km

From you

Dubendorf
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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

Dubendorf vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Basel wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Dubendorf. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Basel the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 79% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,805 in Dubendorf versus $1,953 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,777 in Dubendorf versus $2,993 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Dubendorf. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Basel 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 Basel delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,461 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Basel hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Dubendorf 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 Basel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Dubendorf. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.