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: $3,279 in Glarus versus $3,653 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,259 in Glarus versus $5,857 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,238 in Glarus versus $8,062 in Basel.

Living in Glarus costs roughly 10% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Glarus 145% above, Basel 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.52 CHF 24.07

$30.72 CHF 24.22

-0.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$140 CHF 111

$156 CHF 123

-9.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.28 CHF 12.84

$19.37 CHF 15.27

-15.95%

Cappuccino

$5.87 CHF 4.63

$6.75 CHF 5.32

-13.04%

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

$5.16 CHF 4.07

$5.67 CHF 4.47

-8.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 CHF 3.48

$5.02 CHF 3.96

-12.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 CHF 5.79

$10.09 CHF 7.95

-27.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.23 CHF 5.70

$7.45 CHF 5.87

-2.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CHF 1.58

$2.24 CHF 1.77

-10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 CHF 2.18

$3.73 CHF 2.94

-26.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 CHF 1.74

$4.99 CHF 3.94

-55.71%

Eggs

$7.98 CHF 6.29

$8.16 CHF 6.44

-2.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.90 CHF 24.36

$28.67 CHF 22.60

7.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.70 CHF 28.14

$35.93 CHF 28.33

-0.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.4 CHF 39.71

$43.12 CHF 34.00

16.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 2.90

$3.98 CHF 3.14

-7.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 CHF 1.83

$2.60 CHF 2.05

-10.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 CHF 2.26

$4.24 CHF 3.35

-32.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.36 CHF 5.01

$6.96 CHF 5.49

-8.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 CHF 1.94

$3.23 CHF 2.55

-23.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.90

$2.94 CHF 2.32

-18.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CHF 2.10

$2.51 CHF 1.98

6.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 CHF 0.96

$1.55 CHF 1.22

-21.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.14 CHF 8.78

$11.68 CHF 9.21

-4.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 10.89

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 CHF 1.89

$2.39 CHF 1.88

0.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 CHF 2.61

$3.16 CHF 2.49

4.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.01 CHF 4.74

$4.58 CHF 3.61

31.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 CHF 86.8

$105 CHF 82.4

5.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.28 CHF 6.52

$7.99 CHF 6.30

3.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.29 CHF 3.38

$4.31 CHF 3.40

-0.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.5 CHF 69.8

$87.2 CHF 68.8

1.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 CHF 1.61

$2.23 CHF 1.75

-8.07%

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

$35.1K CHF 27.7K

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

-13.07%

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

$39.3K CHF 31.0K

$44.3K CHF 34.9K

-11.25%

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

$225 CHF 177

$306 CHF 241

-26.60%

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

$72.9 CHF 57.5

$53.5 CHF 42.20

36.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.82 CHF 39.28

$58.9 CHF 46.40

-15.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.6 CHF 73.0

$90.3 CHF 71.2

2.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.93 CHF 34.64

$42.50 CHF 33.51

3.36%

Cinema Ticket

$19.94 CHF 15.72

$22.72 CHF 17.91

-12.24%

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

$2,938 CHF 2,317

$2,574 CHF 2,029

14.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.2K CHF 34.1K

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

27.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$140 CHF 111

$134 CHF 105

5.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.3 CHF 61.7

$88.3 CHF 69.6

-11.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 CHF 106

$181 CHF 143

-26.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 CHF 124

$227 CHF 179

-30.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 CHF 1,286

$2,112 CHF 1,665

-22.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 CHF 1,047

$1,519 CHF 1,197

-12.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,844 CHF 2,242

$3,828 CHF 3,018

-25.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,349 CHF 1,852

$2,802 CHF 2,209

-16.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K CHF 11.0K

$19.1K CHF 15.0K

-27.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.4K CHF 9,002

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

-19.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,537

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Basel: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,631 in Glarus and $2,112 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $140 in Glarus vs $156 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $670 vs $685 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 11% 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 $4,919 in Glarus and $5,479 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: $1,631 in Glarus versus $2,112 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,938 in Glarus versus $2,574 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% 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 $3,279 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 11% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.