Cost of Living Comparison Between Rheinfelden and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Rheinfelden and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,524 in Rheinfelden versus $3,706 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,497 in Rheinfelden versus $5,904 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,469 in Rheinfelden versus $8,102 in Basel.

Living in Rheinfelden costs roughly 5% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rheinfelden 162% above, Basel 176% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.45 CHF 21.94

$31.07 CHF 24.84

-11.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 CHF 85.1

$155 CHF 124

-31.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.45 CHF 13.95

$19.81 CHF 15.83

-11.91%

Cappuccino

$5.65 CHF 4.52

$6.98 CHF 5.58

-19.05%

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

$4.89 CHF 3.91

$5.69 CHF 4.55

-14.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 CHF 3.71

$5.00 CHF 4.00

-7.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.47 CHF 6.77

$9.80 CHF 7.83

-13.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 CHF 4.97

$7.64 CHF 6.11

-18.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.71

$2.22 CHF 1.78

-3.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.35 CHF 2.68

$3.85 CHF 3.07

-12.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 CHF 3.42

$5.00 CHF 4.00

-14.40%

Eggs

$6.95 CHF 5.55

$8.00 CHF 6.40

-13.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.40 CHF 22.70

$28.50 CHF 22.78

-0.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$34.95 CHF 27.94

$36.38 CHF 29.08

-3.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.12 CHF 32.87

$44.61 CHF 35.66

-7.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.84

$3.95 CHF 3.16

-10.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.71

$2.70 CHF 2.16

-20.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 CHF 2.18

$4.24 CHF 3.39

-35.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.72 CHF 5.37

$6.84 CHF 5.47

-1.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 CHF 1.80

$3.15 CHF 2.52

-28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 CHF 1.78

$2.86 CHF 2.29

-22.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 2.01

$2.63 CHF 2.11

-4.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 CHF 0.90

$1.50 CHF 1.20

-24.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.15 CHF 8.91

$11.55 CHF 9.23

-3.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.41 CHF 9.92

$13.89 CHF 11.10

-10.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 CHF 1.59

$2.37 CHF 1.90

-16.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 CHF 1.88

$3.06 CHF 2.44

-22.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.89 CHF 3.11

$4.67 CHF 3.73

-16.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100.0 CHF 79.9

$108 CHF 86.3

-7.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.23 CHF 6.57

$8.06 CHF 6.44

2.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.26 CHF 3.40

$4.28 CHF 3.42

-0.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.8 CHF 68.6

$87.2 CHF 69.7

-1.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.77

$2.22 CHF 1.77

-0.45%

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

$41.1K CHF 32.9K

$39.9K CHF 31.9K

3.02%

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

$44.3K CHF 35.4K

$44.8K CHF 35.8K

-1.09%

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

$305 CHF 244

$308 CHF 246

-1.00%

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

$54.0 CHF 43.17

$55.1 CHF 44.04

-1.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 CHF 46.75

$59.9 CHF 47.84

-2.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.2 CHF 71.3

$90.5 CHF 72.3

-1.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.81 CHF 33.42

Cinema Ticket

$22.50 CHF 17.99

$23.10 CHF 18.47

-2.60%

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

$3,042 CHF 2,432

$2,555 CHF 2,042

19.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.1K CHF 27.3K

$34.2K CHF 27.3K

-0.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 107

$133 CHF 106

0.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.7 CHF 54.1

$86.4 CHF 69.1

-21.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$178 CHF 142

$175 CHF 140

1.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 147

$234 CHF 187

-21.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,680 CHF 1,343

$2,106 CHF 1,684

-20.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 CHF 1,179

$1,484 CHF 1,186

-0.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,800 CHF 2,238

$3,757 CHF 3,003

-25.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,995 CHF 2,394

$2,891 CHF 2,311

3.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.7K CHF 14.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.0K CHF 11.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,072 CHF 6,452

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 Rheinfelden: June 8, 2026

Last update for Basel: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,680 in Rheinfelden and $2,106 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $106 in Rheinfelden vs $155 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $632 vs $691 per month, with Rheinfelden 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

Rheinfelden vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $5,287 in Rheinfelden and $5,558 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: $1,680 in Rheinfelden versus $2,106 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,042 in Rheinfelden 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 9% 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. Rheinfelden 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 Rheinfelden delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,524 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rheinfelden hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rheinfelden 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 Rheinfelden 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.