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: $3,316 in Rapperswil versus $3,706 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,004 in Rapperswil versus $5,904 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,693 in Rapperswil versus $8,102 in Basel.

Living in Rapperswil costs roughly 11% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rapperswil 147% above, Basel 176% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.58 CHF 24.44

$31.07 CHF 24.84

-1.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 CHF 91.9

$155 CHF 124

-25.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.21 CHF 14.56

$19.81 CHF 15.83

-8.08%

Cappuccino

$5.53 CHF 4.42

$6.98 CHF 5.58

-20.77%

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

$5.61 CHF 4.48

$5.69 CHF 4.55

-1.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 CHF 3.91

$5.00 CHF 4.00

-2.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 CHF 6.06

$9.80 CHF 7.83

-22.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 CHF 4.80

$7.64 CHF 6.11

-21.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 CHF 0.92

$2.22 CHF 1.78

-48.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 CHF 0.87

$3.85 CHF 3.07

-71.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 CHF 1.94

$5.00 CHF 4.00

-51.60%

Eggs

$3.61 CHF 2.89

$8.00 CHF 6.40

-54.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.30 CHF 21.82

$28.50 CHF 22.78

-4.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.21 CHF 25.75

$36.38 CHF 29.08

-11.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.90 CHF 29.50

$44.61 CHF 35.66

-17.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.92

$3.95 CHF 3.16

-39.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 CHF 1.52

$2.70 CHF 2.16

-29.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 2.02

$4.24 CHF 3.39

-40.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 1.94

$6.84 CHF 5.47

-64.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 CHF 1.46

$3.15 CHF 2.52

-41.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 CHF 1.47

$2.86 CHF 2.29

-35.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 CHF 2.04

$2.63 CHF 2.11

-3.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 CHF 0.48

$1.50 CHF 1.20

-60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.99 CHF 8.79

$11.55 CHF 9.23

-4.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.41 CHF 9.12

$13.89 CHF 11.10

-17.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 CHF 0.68

$2.37 CHF 1.90

-64.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.91

$3.06 CHF 2.44

-21.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 CHF 3.06

$4.67 CHF 3.73

-17.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 CHF 79.8

$108 CHF 86.3

-7.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.73 CHF 5.38

$8.06 CHF 6.44

-16.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.32 CHF 3.45

$4.28 CHF 3.42

0.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$78.5 CHF 62.8

$87.2 CHF 69.7

-9.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 CHF 1.68

$2.22 CHF 1.77

-5.41%

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

$40.3K CHF 32.2K

$39.9K CHF 31.9K

0.86%

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

$42.2K CHF 33.7K

$44.8K CHF 35.8K

-5.81%

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

$332 CHF 266

$308 CHF 246

7.76%

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

$59.1 CHF 47.27

$55.1 CHF 44.04

7.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 CHF 42.29

$59.9 CHF 47.84

-11.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.6 CHF 71.7

$90.5 CHF 72.3

-0.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.81 CHF 33.42

Cinema Ticket

$21.92 CHF 17.52

$23.10 CHF 18.47

-5.11%

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

$2,883 CHF 2,304

$2,555 CHF 2,042

12.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.1K CHF 27.3K

$34.2K CHF 27.3K

-0.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 CHF 96.1

$133 CHF 106

-9.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.17 CHF 29.71

$86.4 CHF 69.1

-56.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 CHF 80.3

$175 CHF 140

-42.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 CHF 48.41

$234 CHF 187

-74.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 CHF 1,350

$2,106 CHF 1,684

-19.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CHF 1,186

0.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,873 CHF 2,296

$3,757 CHF 3,003

-23.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,440 CHF 1,950

$2,891 CHF 2,311

-15.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 13.0K

$18.7K CHF 14.9K

-12.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.7K CHF 9,369

$14.0K CHF 11.2K

-16.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,462 CHF 6,764

$8,072 CHF 6,452

4.84%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Basel: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,690 in Rapperswil and $2,106 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rapperswil pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $115 in Rapperswil vs $155 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $504 vs $691 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 12% 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 5% 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: $1,690 in Rapperswil versus $2,106 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,883 in Rapperswil 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 37% 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 $3,316 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 12% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.