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: $3,251 in Rapperswil versus $3,682 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,906 in Rapperswil versus $5,815 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,562 in Rapperswil versus $7,949 in Basel.

Living in Rapperswil costs roughly 12% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rapperswil 143% above, Basel 175% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.61 CHF 24.00

$31.08 CHF 24.37

-1.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$116 CHF 90.6

$154 CHF 121

-25.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.50 CHF 14.51

$20.09 CHF 15.75

-7.91%

Cappuccino

$5.57 CHF 4.37

$6.99 CHF 5.48

-20.31%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.28

$5.70 CHF 4.47

-4.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 CHF 3.90

$5.04 CHF 3.95

-1.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.31 CHF 5.73

$9.72 CHF 7.62

-24.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 CHF 4.80

$7.54 CHF 5.91

-18.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 CHF 0.90

$2.17 CHF 1.70

-47.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 CHF 0.85

$3.70 CHF 2.90

-70.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 CHF 1.87

$4.95 CHF 3.88

-51.72%

Eggs

$3.60 CHF 2.82

$7.99 CHF 6.26

-54.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.64 CHF 21.67

$28.33 CHF 22.21

-2.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$31.79 CHF 24.92

$36.87 CHF 28.91

-13.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.72 CHF 28.79

$44.59 CHF 34.96

-17.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 CHF 1.94

$3.83 CHF 3.00

-35.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 CHF 1.42

$2.76 CHF 2.16

-34.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 CHF 1.96

$4.01 CHF 3.14

-37.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 1.98

$7.13 CHF 5.59

-64.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 CHF 1.47

$3.25 CHF 2.55

-42.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 CHF 1.42

$2.83 CHF 2.22

-36.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CHF 2.04

$2.65 CHF 2.08

-1.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 CHF 0.51

$1.55 CHF 1.22

-58.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.77 CHF 8.45

$11.59 CHF 9.08

-7.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.65 CHF 9.13

$15.29 CHF 11.99

-23.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 CHF 0.65

$2.46 CHF 1.93

-66.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 CHF 1.81

$3.00 CHF 2.36

-23.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.86 CHF 3.03

$4.81 CHF 3.77

-19.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.1 CHF 76.1

$105 CHF 82.2

-7.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 CHF 5.30

$7.91 CHF 6.20

-14.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.19 CHF 3.28

$4.33 CHF 3.40

-3.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.6 CHF 62.4

$86.4 CHF 67.7

-7.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.67

$2.15 CHF 1.69

-0.93%

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

$41.0K CHF 32.2K

$41.0K CHF 32.1K

0.13%

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

$41.9K CHF 32.8K

$45.7K CHF 35.8K

-8.39%

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

$326 CHF 256

$299 CHF 234

9.07%

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

$59.8 CHF 46.84

$54.1 CHF 42.40

10.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 CHF 41.70

$59.6 CHF 46.69

-10.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.3 CHF 67.7

$90.5 CHF 70.9

-4.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.79 CHF 32.77

Cinema Ticket

$22.04 CHF 17.28

$22.41 CHF 17.57

-1.65%

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

$2,842 CHF 2,228

$2,607 CHF 2,044

9.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.9K CHF 27.3K

$35.0K CHF 27.4K

-0.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$121 CHF 95.0

$135 CHF 106

-10.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.59 CHF 28.68

$88.4 CHF 69.3

-58.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 CHF 78.7

$177 CHF 139

-43.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.5 CHF 48.20

$228 CHF 178

-73.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 CHF 1,333

$2,067 CHF 1,621

-17.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 CHF 1,143

$1,477 CHF 1,158

-1.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,840 CHF 2,227

$3,728 CHF 2,923

-23.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,510 CHF 1,968

$2,817 CHF 2,209

-10.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K CHF 9,409

$18.1K CHF 14.2K

-33.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,897 CHF 7,759

$13.4K CHF 10.5K

-25.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,603 CHF 6,745

$7,835 CHF 6,143

9.80%

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 Rapperswil: April 21, 2026

Last update for Basel: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,700 in Rapperswil and $2,067 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rapperswil pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $116 in Rapperswil vs $154 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $504 vs $694 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 13% 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.

Rapperswil pays 10% 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: $1,700 in Rapperswil versus $2,067 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,842 in Rapperswil versus $2,607 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% 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 $3,251 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 13% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.