Cost of Living Comparison Between Glarus and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Glarus and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,410 in Glarus versus $3,566 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,117 in Glarus versus $5,581 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,823 in Glarus versus $7,595 in Basel.

Living in Glarus costs roughly 4% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Glarus 148% above, Basel 160% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.52 CHF 24.00

$29.61 CHF 24.07

-0.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 99.0

$128 CHF 104

-4.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.18 CHF 14.78

$18.47 CHF 15.01

-1.57%

Cappuccino

$6.17 CHF 5.01

$6.76 CHF 5.50

-8.73%

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

$3.79 CHF 3.08

$6.33 CHF 5.14

-40.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 CHF 3.19

$6.15 CHF 5.00

-36.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.45 CHF 7.68

$8.91 CHF 7.24

6.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.37 CHF 5.18

$9.93 CHF 8.07

-35.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.77

$2.34 CHF 1.90

-6.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 CHF 2.68

$3.22 CHF 2.61

2.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 CHF 2.36

$3.36 CHF 2.73

-13.69%

Eggs

$7.86 CHF 6.39

$8.03 CHF 6.53

-2.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.88 CHF 7.22

$26.94 CHF 21.90

-67.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.68 CHF 11.93

$27.83 CHF 22.63

-47.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.60 CHF 32.20

$41.82 CHF 34.00

-5.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 CHF 2.58

$3.60 CHF 2.93

-11.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 CHF 1.34

$2.35 CHF 1.91

-29.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 CHF 1.94

$3.12 CHF 2.54

-23.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 CHF 4.50

$4.84 CHF 3.93

14.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 CHF 1.37

$1.73 CHF 1.40

-2.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.75

$2.07 CHF 1.68

3.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 CHF 1.88

$2.33 CHF 1.89

-0.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 CHF 1.00

$1.63 CHF 1.33

-24.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.93 CHF 8.88

$11.39 CHF 9.26

-4.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 CHF 9.21

$12.41 CHF 10.09

-8.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 CHF 1.75

$2.62 CHF 2.13

-17.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 CHF 1.92

$3.21 CHF 2.61

-26.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.33 CHF 5.15

$4.60 CHF 3.74

37.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$227 CHF 184

$108 CHF 88.2

109.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.72 CHF 5.47

$8.16 CHF 6.63

-17.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.85 CHF 3.95

$4.67 CHF 3.80

3.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.9 CHF 65.0

$85.9 CHF 69.8

-6.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.80

$2.27 CHF 1.85

-2.64%

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

$35.7K CHF 29.0K

$43.8K CHF 35.6K

-18.57%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.4K

$39.8K CHF 32.4K

0.23%

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

$324 CHF 263

$304 CHF 247

6.48%

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

$38.59 CHF 31.37

$54.2 CHF 44.05

-28.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 CHF 44.51

$64.7 CHF 52.6

-15.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$167 CHF 135

$83.3 CHF 67.7

100.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.68 CHF 34.70

$58.5 CHF 47.56

-27.04%

Cinema Ticket

$25.71 CHF 20.90

$23.78 CHF 19.34

8.12%

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

$2,370 CHF 1,927

$3,055 CHF 2,484

-22.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K CHF 26.5K

0.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 CHF 84.9

$147 CHF 120

-29.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.38 CHF 35.26

$81.7 CHF 66.4

-46.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 CHF 110

$166 CHF 135

-18.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 CHF 81.9

$206 CHF 167

-51.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 CHF 1,432

$2,095 CHF 1,703

-15.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 CHF 1,144

$1,529 CHF 1,243

-8.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,052 CHF 2,482

$3,547 CHF 2,884

-13.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,336 CHF 1,899

$2,865 CHF 2,329

-18.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 14.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.8K CHF 12.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,405 CHF 6,020

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

2.43

-13.58%

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

Last update for Glarus: August 30, 2026

Last update for Basel: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,762 in Glarus and $2,095 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $122 in Glarus vs $128 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $451 vs $598 per month, with Glarus 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

Glarus vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Glarus wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Glarus the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,115 in Glarus and $5,349 in Basel to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,762 in Glarus versus $2,095 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,370 in Glarus versus $3,055 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Glarus 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 Glarus delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,410 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Glarus hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Glarus 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 Glarus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.