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: $3,241 in Rapperswil versus $3,658 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,956 in Rapperswil versus $5,824 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,672 in Rapperswil versus $7,989 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 143% above, Basel 174% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.47 CHF 24.91

$30.22 CHF 24.71

0.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 CHF 94.3

$157 CHF 128

-26.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.60 CHF 15.21

$19.82 CHF 16.21

-6.16%

Cappuccino

$5.38 CHF 4.40

$7.03 CHF 5.75

-23.47%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.47

$5.60 CHF 4.58

-2.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 CHF 4.15

$5.11 CHF 4.18

-0.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.61 CHF 6.22

$9.92 CHF 8.11

-23.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 CHF 5.17

$7.63 CHF 6.24

-17.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 CHF 0.93

$2.23 CHF 1.83

-48.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 CHF 0.89

$3.73 CHF 3.05

-70.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 CHF 2.00

$5.13 CHF 4.20

-52.24%

Eggs

$3.80 CHF 3.10

$7.88 CHF 6.44

-51.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.52 CHF 22.51

$29.25 CHF 23.91

-5.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$31.81 CHF 26.01

$36.16 CHF 29.57

-12.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.08 CHF 30.32

$43.71 CHF 35.74

-15.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.04

$3.86 CHF 3.16

-35.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 CHF 1.52

$2.71 CHF 2.21

-31.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.06

$4.21 CHF 3.44

-40.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 2.07

$6.92 CHF 5.66

-63.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 CHF 1.49

$3.24 CHF 2.65

-43.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 CHF 1.54

$2.85 CHF 2.33

-33.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 CHF 2.14

$2.61 CHF 2.13

0.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 CHF 0.50

$1.55 CHF 1.27

-60.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 CHF 8.98

$11.90 CHF 9.73

-7.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 CHF 11.21

$13.44 CHF 10.99

1.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 CHF 0.69

$2.36 CHF 1.93

-64.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 CHF 1.88

$3.12 CHF 2.55

-25.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 CHF 3.16

$4.65 CHF 3.80

-16.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.4 CHF 80.5

$107 CHF 87.6

-8.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.93 CHF 5.66

$8.15 CHF 6.67

-14.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.34 CHF 3.55

$4.16 CHF 3.40

4.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$80.0 CHF 65.4

$87.0 CHF 71.1

-8.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.74

$2.21 CHF 1.81

-3.62%

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

$40.7K CHF 33.3K

$39.8K CHF 32.5K

2.29%

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

$42.0K CHF 34.3K

$44.5K CHF 36.4K

-5.66%

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

$334 CHF 274

$302 CHF 247

10.67%

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

$60.1 CHF 49.13

$53.7 CHF 43.91

11.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 CHF 44.32

$59.1 CHF 48.35

-8.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.9 CHF 72.7

$88.8 CHF 72.6

0.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.93 CHF 34.29

Cinema Ticket

$22.28 CHF 18.22

$23.07 CHF 18.87

-3.42%

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

$2,817 CHF 2,304

$2,621 CHF 2,143

7.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.3K CHF 28.1K

$34.6K CHF 28.3K

-0.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 CHF 98.0

$135 CHF 111

-11.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.87 CHF 30.15

$86.8 CHF 71.0

-57.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 CHF 81.9

$179 CHF 146

-44.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.9 CHF 50.6

$233 CHF 191

-73.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,687 CHF 1,379

$2,070 CHF 1,692

-18.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 CHF 1,221

$1,475 CHF 1,206

1.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,863 CHF 2,341

$3,823 CHF 3,126

-25.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,444 CHF 1,998

$2,868 CHF 2,345

-14.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.7K CHF 14.5K

$18.1K CHF 14.8K

-2.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.6K

$14.6K CHF 11.9K

-2.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,341 CHF 6,821

$7,233 CHF 5,914

15.32%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Basel: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,687 in Rapperswil and $2,070 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rapperswil pays 15% 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 $157 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $510 vs $688 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.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Rapperswil, 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: $1,687 in Rapperswil versus $2,070 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,817 in Rapperswil versus $2,621 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% 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 $3,241 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.