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: $3,371 in Glarus versus $3,606 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,198 in Glarus versus $5,819 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,024 in Glarus versus $8,033 in Basel.

Living in Glarus costs roughly 7% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Glarus 152% above, Basel 170% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.97 CHF 25.04

$31.16 CHF 25.19

-0.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$141 CHF 114

$154 CHF 125

-8.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.91 CHF 12.87

$19.41 CHF 15.69

-18.03%

Cappuccino

$5.79 CHF 4.68

$6.73 CHF 5.44

-13.97%

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

$5.42 CHF 4.38

$5.46 CHF 4.42

-0.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 CHF 3.44

$5.21 CHF 4.21

-18.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 CHF 5.94

$9.65 CHF 7.80

-23.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.33 CHF 5.93

$7.31 CHF 5.91

0.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 CHF 1.58

$2.21 CHF 1.79

-11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 CHF 2.30

$3.87 CHF 3.13

-26.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 CHF 1.78

$5.19 CHF 4.19

-57.42%

Eggs

$7.98 CHF 6.45

$7.82 CHF 6.33

2.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.67 CHF 24.80

$28.51 CHF 23.05

7.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.89 CHF 29.02

$36.76 CHF 29.72

-2.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.3 CHF 41.51

$44.22 CHF 35.75

16.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 CHF 3.06

$3.91 CHF 3.16

-3.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.87

$2.74 CHF 2.21

-15.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 CHF 2.32

$4.18 CHF 3.38

-31.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.16 CHF 4.98

$6.99 CHF 5.65

-11.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 CHF 1.93

$3.26 CHF 2.64

-26.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 CHF 2.00

$2.98 CHF 2.41

-17.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CHF 2.08

$2.52 CHF 2.04

2.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 CHF 0.98

$1.49 CHF 1.21

-18.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.02 CHF 8.91

$11.83 CHF 9.56

-6.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.25 CHF 9.10

$13.68 CHF 11.06

-17.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 CHF 2.81

$3.04 CHF 2.46

14.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.01 CHF 4.86

$4.76 CHF 3.85

26.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CHF 90.2

$105 CHF 85.0

6.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 CHF 6.40

$7.92 CHF 6.41

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.13 CHF 3.34

$4.36 CHF 3.52

-5.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.1 CHF 70.4

$87.4 CHF 70.7

-0.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.73

$2.20 CHF 1.78

-2.73%

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

$35.3K CHF 28.5K

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

-13.51%

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

$38.7K CHF 31.3K

$45.1K CHF 36.5K

-14.13%

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

$224 CHF 181

$302 CHF 244

-25.74%

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

$74.4 CHF 60.1

$54.0 CHF 43.66

37.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.66 CHF 39.34

$58.9 CHF 47.60

-17.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.4 CHF 73.9

$90.9 CHF 73.5

0.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.27 CHF 34.98

$41.38 CHF 33.46

4.57%

Cinema Ticket

$20.61 CHF 16.66

$23.17 CHF 18.73

-11.05%

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

$2,895 CHF 2,340

$2,533 CHF 2,048

14.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.3K CHF 34.2K

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

25.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 113

$135 CHF 110

2.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.7 CHF 61.2

$87.6 CHF 70.9

-13.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 CHF 108

$180 CHF 145

-25.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 CHF 129

$230 CHF 186

-30.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 CHF 1,348

$2,103 CHF 1,701

-20.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,319 CHF 1,067

$1,511 CHF 1,222

-12.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,892 CHF 2,338

$3,742 CHF 3,025

-22.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,374 CHF 1,919

$2,829 CHF 2,288

-16.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.1K CHF 11.4K

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

-24.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.7K CHF 8,687

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

-26.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,175 CHF 5,801

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

2.55

-1.96%

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

Last update for Glarus: July 11, 2026

Last update for Basel: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Glarus and $2,103 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $141 in Glarus vs $154 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $668 vs $692 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 7% 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 $5,056 in Glarus and $5,409 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: $1,668 in Glarus versus $2,103 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,895 in Glarus versus $2,533 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% 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 $3,371 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 7% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.