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: $3,422 in Liestal versus $3,706 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,380 in Liestal versus $5,904 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,338 in Liestal versus $8,102 in Basel.

Living in Liestal costs roughly 8% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Liestal 155% above, Basel 176% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.24 CHF 22.42

$31.07 CHF 24.67

-9.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 CHF 86.3

$155 CHF 123

-29.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.09 CHF 15.15

$19.81 CHF 15.72

-3.63%

Cappuccino

$5.69 CHF 4.51

$6.98 CHF 5.54

-18.48%

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

$4.72 CHF 3.75

$5.69 CHF 4.52

-17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 CHF 3.66

$5.00 CHF 3.97

-7.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.37 CHF 6.64

$9.80 CHF 7.78

-14.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 CHF 4.80

$7.64 CHF 6.07

-20.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.72

$2.22 CHF 1.76

-2.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 CHF 2.72

$3.85 CHF 3.05

-10.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.19 CHF 4.12

$5.00 CHF 3.97

3.80%

Eggs

$7.81 CHF 6.20

$8.00 CHF 6.35

-2.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.58 CHF 22.69

$28.50 CHF 22.62

0.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.01 CHF 28.59

$36.38 CHF 28.88

-1.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.91 CHF 32.48

$44.61 CHF 35.42

-8.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 CHF 3.07

$3.95 CHF 3.14

-2.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.18

$2.70 CHF 2.14

1.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.31

$4.24 CHF 3.37

-31.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.87 CHF 5.46

$6.84 CHF 5.43

0.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.16 CHF 2.51

$3.15 CHF 2.50

0.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 CHF 2.32

$2.86 CHF 2.27

2.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CHF 2.07

$2.63 CHF 2.09

-0.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 CHF 0.99

$1.50 CHF 1.19

-17.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.46 CHF 9.10

$11.55 CHF 9.17

-0.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.56 CHF 10.77

$13.89 CHF 11.03

-2.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 CHF 1.57

$2.37 CHF 1.88

-16.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 CHF 1.77

$3.06 CHF 2.43

-27.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.61 CHF 2.87

$4.67 CHF 3.71

-22.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.0 CHF 54.8

$108 CHF 85.7

-36.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 CHF 6.44

$8.06 CHF 6.40

0.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.25 CHF 3.37

$4.28 CHF 3.40

-0.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$91.6 CHF 72.7

$87.2 CHF 69.2

5.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.70

$2.22 CHF 1.76

-3.60%

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

$40.8K CHF 32.4K

$39.9K CHF 31.7K

2.17%

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

$48.7K CHF 38.7K

$44.8K CHF 35.5K

8.77%

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

$377 CHF 299

$308 CHF 245

22.14%

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

$54.4 CHF 43.18

$55.1 CHF 43.74

-1.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 CHF 46.45

$59.9 CHF 47.51

-2.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.1 CHF 70.0

$90.5 CHF 71.8

-2.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.1 CHF 48.53

$41.81 CHF 33.19

46.21%

Cinema Ticket

$24.55 CHF 19.49

$23.10 CHF 18.34

6.28%

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

$2,604 CHF 2,067

$2,555 CHF 2,029

1.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K CHF 27.3K

$34.2K CHF 27.2K

0.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 107

$133 CHF 106

1.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.3 CHF 54.2

$86.4 CHF 68.6

-21.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$172 CHF 136

$175 CHF 139

-1.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 180

$234 CHF 186

-3.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 CHF 1,158

$2,106 CHF 1,672

-30.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 CHF 1,056

$1,484 CHF 1,178

-10.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,477 CHF 1,967

$3,757 CHF 2,982

-34.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,687 CHF 2,133

$2,891 CHF 2,295

-7.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.7K CHF 14.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,552 CHF 6,789

$14.0K CHF 11.1K

-38.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,441 CHF 7,495

$8,072 CHF 6,408

16.97%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Basel: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,459 in Liestal and $2,106 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Liestal pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $109 in Liestal vs $155 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $660 vs $691 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 8% 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.

Liestal pays 17% more on average, 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: $1,459 in Liestal versus $2,106 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,604 in Liestal versus $2,555 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 $3,422 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 8% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.