Cost of Living Comparison Between Rapperswil and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Rapperswil and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,390 in Rapperswil versus $3,544 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,153 in Rapperswil versus $5,518 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,915 in Rapperswil versus $7,492 in Basel.

Living in Rapperswil costs roughly 4% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rapperswil 146% above, Basel 157% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.98 CHF 20.39

$29.93 CHF 24.42

-16.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.7 CHF 80.6

$125 CHF 102

-21.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.65 CHF 13.58

$18.69 CHF 15.25

-10.91%

Cappuccino

$6.31 CHF 5.15

$6.73 CHF 5.49

-6.24%

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

$4.97 CHF 4.06

$6.33 CHF 5.17

-21.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 CHF 3.93

$5.86 CHF 4.78

-17.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.81 CHF 7.19

$9.34 CHF 7.62

-5.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 CHF 5.02

$10.07 CHF 8.22

-38.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.83

$2.32 CHF 1.89

-3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 CHF 2.85

$3.05 CHF 2.49

14.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.33 CHF 3.53

$3.32 CHF 2.71

30.42%

Eggs

$7.98 CHF 6.51

$8.34 CHF 6.80

-4.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.06 CHF 22.08

$26.21 CHF 21.39

3.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.59 CHF 21.70

$27.85 CHF 22.73

-4.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.99 CHF 33.45

$42.56 CHF 34.73

-3.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 CHF 3.01

$3.66 CHF 2.99

0.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 CHF 1.72

$2.40 CHF 1.96

-12.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 CHF 2.15

$2.99 CHF 2.44

-12.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 CHF 3.93

$4.83 CHF 3.94

-0.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 CHF 1.71

$1.79 CHF 1.46

16.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 CHF 1.86

$1.95 CHF 1.59

16.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

$2.33 CHF 1.90

6.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CHF 1.13

$1.66 CHF 1.36

-16.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.15 CHF 9.10

$11.63 CHF 9.49

-4.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.57 CHF 11.08

$12.24 CHF 9.99

10.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

$2.49 CHF 2.03

-9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CHF 2.30

$3.18 CHF 2.59

-11.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.25 CHF 3.47

$4.44 CHF 3.63

-4.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 CHF 85.3

$108 CHF 88.3

-3.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 CHF 6.26

$7.99 CHF 6.52

-4.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.08 CHF 4.15

$4.59 CHF 3.75

10.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.8 CHF 72.4

$88.0 CHF 71.8

0.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.86

$2.29 CHF 1.87

-0.44%

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

$43.2K CHF 35.2K

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

-2.40%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.4K

$39.6K CHF 32.3K

0.05%

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

$238 CHF 194

$299 CHF 244

-20.33%

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

$32.75 CHF 26.73

$53.3 CHF 43.47

-38.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.8 CHF 55.3

$66.0 CHF 53.9

2.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.5 CHF 67.3

$85.8 CHF 70.0

-3.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.95 CHF 38.31

$59.0 CHF 48.17

-20.46%

Cinema Ticket

$22.15 CHF 18.08

$23.81 CHF 19.44

-6.97%

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

$2,865 CHF 2,338

$3,026 CHF 2,470

-5.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$45.2K CHF 36.9K

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

35.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 116

$147 CHF 120

-2.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.2 CHF 72.0

$81.6 CHF 66.6

8.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 122

$164 CHF 134

-8.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 CHF 144

$199 CHF 162

-11.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,906 CHF 1,556

$2,141 CHF 1,747

-10.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 CHF 1,226

$1,528 CHF 1,247

-1.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,946 CHF 2,404

$3,615 CHF 2,950

-18.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,475 CHF 2,020

$2,890 CHF 2,358

-14.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.2K CHF 14.0K

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

-6.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.6K CHF 9,443

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

-20.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,336 CHF 5,987

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

2.43

-29.22%

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

Last update for Rapperswil: September 5, 2026

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,906 in Rapperswil and $2,141 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $99.0 in Rapperswil vs $125 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $591 vs $597 per month, with Rapperswil 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

Rapperswil vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rapperswil wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rapperswil the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,085 in Rapperswil and $5,316 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: $1,906 in Rapperswil versus $2,141 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,865 in Rapperswil 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 1% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Rapperswil 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 Rapperswil delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,390 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rapperswil hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rapperswil 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 Rapperswil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.