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: $3,487 in Liestal versus $3,725 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,348 in Liestal versus $5,789 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,209 in Liestal versus $7,853 in Basel.

Living in Liestal costs roughly 6% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Liestal 162% above, Basel 180% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.26 CHF 22.99

$31.01 CHF 25.23

-8.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 CHF 86.0

$154 CHF 125

-31.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.44 CHF 15.81

$19.45 CHF 15.82

-0.05%

Cappuccino

$5.72 CHF 4.65

$6.66 CHF 5.42

-14.11%

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

$4.82 CHF 3.92

$5.74 CHF 4.67

-16.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 CHF 3.88

$5.00 CHF 4.07

-4.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 CHF 6.72

$9.58 CHF 7.79

-13.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 CHF 4.95

$7.70 CHF 6.26

-20.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.83

$2.22 CHF 1.81

1.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 CHF 2.75

$3.74 CHF 3.04

-9.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.20 CHF 4.23

$5.00 CHF 4.07

4.00%

Eggs

$7.93 CHF 6.45

$7.91 CHF 6.44

0.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.35 CHF 23.06

$29.24 CHF 23.79

-3.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.74 CHF 29.07

$37.30 CHF 30.34

-4.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.42 CHF 32.88

$43.14 CHF 35.09

-6.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 CHF 3.11

$3.84 CHF 3.13

-0.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 CHF 2.22

$2.60 CHF 2.12

5.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 CHF 2.46

$4.05 CHF 3.29

-25.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.93 CHF 5.63

$6.86 CHF 5.58

1.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 CHF 2.68

$3.22 CHF 2.62

2.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 CHF 2.41

$2.84 CHF 2.31

4.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CHF 2.12

$2.63 CHF 2.14

-0.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CHF 1.03

$1.49 CHF 1.21

-15.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.52 CHF 9.37

$11.56 CHF 9.40

-0.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.33 CHF 10.84

$13.33 CHF 10.85

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 CHF 1.53

$2.34 CHF 1.90

-19.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 CHF 1.88

$3.04 CHF 2.47

-24.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.67 CHF 2.99

$4.56 CHF 3.71

-19.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.5 CHF 54.9

$108 CHF 87.5

-37.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.23 CHF 6.70

$8.05 CHF 6.55

2.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.27 CHF 3.47

$4.19 CHF 3.41

1.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$91.8 CHF 74.6

$85.8 CHF 69.8

6.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.75

$2.19 CHF 1.78

-1.83%

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

$40.9K CHF 33.3K

$40.7K CHF 33.1K

0.53%

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

$48.5K CHF 39.4K

$44.9K CHF 36.5K

7.93%

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

$365 CHF 297

$303 CHF 246

20.41%

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

$53.8 CHF 43.77

$53.2 CHF 43.24

1.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 CHF 48.34

$58.5 CHF 47.61

1.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.0 CHF 70.8

$90.7 CHF 73.8

-4.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.14 CHF 37.53

$42.34 CHF 34.44

8.97%

Cinema Ticket

$24.83 CHF 20.20

$22.39 CHF 18.21

10.90%

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

$2,628 CHF 2,137

$2,538 CHF 2,065

3.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.7K CHF 28.2K

$34.4K CHF 28.0K

0.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 CHF 107

$135 CHF 110

-2.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.2 CHF 55.5

$89.2 CHF 72.5

-23.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$177 CHF 144

$175 CHF 142

1.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$226 CHF 184

$227 CHF 184

-0.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 CHF 1,181

$2,105 CHF 1,712

-31.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 CHF 1,066

$1,498 CHF 1,218

-12.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,430 CHF 1,976

$3,749 CHF 3,049

-35.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 CHF 2,161

$2,888 CHF 2,349

-8.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.3K CHF 12.4K

$18.3K CHF 14.9K

-16.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 10.1K

$14.3K CHF 11.6K

-13.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,201 CHF 7,484

$7,099 CHF 5,775

29.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.52

2.55

-1.18%

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

Last update for Liestal: July 27, 2026

Last update for Basel: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,452 in Liestal and $2,105 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Liestal pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $106 in Liestal vs $154 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $658 vs $689 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 7% 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 30% 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: $1,452 in Liestal versus $2,105 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,628 in Liestal versus $2,538 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% 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 $3,487 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 7% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.