Cost of Living Comparison Between Liestal and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Liestal and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,264 in Liestal versus $3,544 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,210 in Liestal versus $5,518 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,157 in Liestal versus $7,492 in Basel.

Living in Liestal costs roughly 8% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Liestal 137% above, Basel 157% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.18 CHF 23.81

$29.93 CHF 24.42

-2.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 CHF 101

$125 CHF 102

-1.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.75 CHF 15.30

$18.69 CHF 15.25

0.32%

Cappuccino

$6.61 CHF 5.40

$6.73 CHF 5.49

-1.78%

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

$6.36 CHF 5.19

$6.33 CHF 5.17

0.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 CHF 4.95

$5.86 CHF 4.78

3.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.98 CHF 7.33

$9.34 CHF 7.62

-3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 CHF 6.43

$10.07 CHF 8.22

-21.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.78

$2.32 CHF 1.89

-6.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 CHF 2.55

$3.05 CHF 2.49

2.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 CHF 2.67

$3.32 CHF 2.71

-1.51%

Eggs

$7.93 CHF 6.47

$8.34 CHF 6.80

-4.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.81 CHF 20.25

$26.21 CHF 21.39

-5.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.85 CHF 22.73

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.12 CHF 32.74

$42.56 CHF 34.73

-5.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 CHF 3.11

$3.66 CHF 2.99

4.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.88

$2.40 CHF 1.96

-3.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.36

$2.99 CHF 2.44

-3.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 CHF 3.84

$4.83 CHF 3.94

-2.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 CHF 1.44

$1.79 CHF 1.46

-1.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 CHF 1.64

$1.95 CHF 1.59

3.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CHF 1.86

$2.33 CHF 1.90

-2.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 CHF 1.12

$1.66 CHF 1.36

-17.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.55 CHF 9.42

$11.63 CHF 9.49

-0.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.51 CHF 10.21

$12.24 CHF 9.99

2.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 CHF 1.81

$2.49 CHF 2.03

-11.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 CHF 2.41

$3.18 CHF 2.59

-7.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.41 CHF 3.60

$4.44 CHF 3.63

-0.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.6 CHF 81.3

$108 CHF 88.3

-7.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 CHF 6.70

$7.99 CHF 6.52

2.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.61 CHF 3.76

$4.59 CHF 3.75

0.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$112 CHF 91.4

$88.0 CHF 71.8

27.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 CHF 1.94

$2.29 CHF 1.87

3.93%

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

$43.7K CHF 35.7K

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

-1.25%

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

$40.2K CHF 32.8K

$39.6K CHF 32.3K

1.33%

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

$300 CHF 245

$299 CHF 244

0.38%

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

$28.80 CHF 23.51

$53.3 CHF 43.47

-45.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 CHF 54.1

$66.0 CHF 53.9

0.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.0 CHF 72.6

$85.8 CHF 70.0

3.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.17 CHF 37.68

$59.0 CHF 48.17

-21.79%

Cinema Ticket

$24.94 CHF 20.35

$23.81 CHF 19.44

4.75%

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

$2,982 CHF 2,433

$3,026 CHF 2,470

-1.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.2K CHF 25.4K

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

-6.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 120

0.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.1 CHF 50.7

$81.6 CHF 66.6

-23.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 130

$164 CHF 134

-3.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 CHF 168

$199 CHF 162

3.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,734 CHF 1,415

$2,141 CHF 1,747

-19.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 CHF 1,105

$1,528 CHF 1,247

-11.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,847 CHF 2,323

$3,615 CHF 2,950

-21.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,688 CHF 2,194

$2,890 CHF 2,358

-6.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.6K

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

-22.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 9,922

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

-16.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,335 CHF 7,618

$7,336 CHF 5,987

27.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

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

Last update for Liestal: September 6, 2026

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,734 in Liestal and $2,141 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Liestal pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $124 in Liestal vs $125 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $577 vs $597 per month, with Liestal 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

Liestal vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Liestal wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Liestal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Liestal, 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: $1,734 in Liestal versus $2,141 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,982 in Liestal versus $3,026 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% 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. Liestal 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 Liestal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,264 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Liestal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Liestal 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 Liestal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.