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: $3,456 in Rheinfelden versus $3,682 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,578 in Rheinfelden versus $5,815 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,700 in Rheinfelden versus $7,949 in Basel.

Living in Rheinfelden costs roughly 6% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rheinfelden 158% above, Basel 175% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.27 CHF 22.16

$31.08 CHF 24.37

-9.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 CHF 83.3

$154 CHF 121

-31.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.31 CHF 13.57

$20.09 CHF 15.75

-13.84%

Cappuccino

$5.83 CHF 4.57

$6.99 CHF 5.48

-16.60%

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

$5.00 CHF 3.92

$5.70 CHF 4.47

-12.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 CHF 3.75

$5.04 CHF 3.95

-4.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.15 CHF 6.39

$9.72 CHF 7.62

-16.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 CHF 4.89

$7.54 CHF 5.91

-17.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.71

$2.17 CHF 1.70

0.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 CHF 2.69

$3.70 CHF 2.90

-7.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.26 CHF 3.34

$4.95 CHF 3.88

-13.94%

Eggs

$7.10 CHF 5.56

$7.99 CHF 6.26

-11.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.44 CHF 22.30

$28.33 CHF 22.21

0.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$34.84 CHF 27.31

$36.87 CHF 28.91

-5.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.61 CHF 32.62

$44.59 CHF 34.96

-6.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 CHF 2.74

$3.83 CHF 3.00

-8.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 CHF 1.66

$2.76 CHF 2.16

-23.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 CHF 2.19

$4.01 CHF 3.14

-30.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.02 CHF 5.50

$7.13 CHF 5.59

-1.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 CHF 1.76

$3.25 CHF 2.55

-30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 CHF 1.76

$2.83 CHF 2.22

-20.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 CHF 1.92

$2.65 CHF 2.08

-7.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 CHF 0.85

$1.55 CHF 1.22

-29.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.54 CHF 9.04

$11.59 CHF 9.08

-0.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.82 CHF 10.05

$15.29 CHF 11.99

-16.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 CHF 1.50

$2.46 CHF 1.93

-21.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 CHF 1.81

$3.00 CHF 2.36

-23.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.03 CHF 3.16

$4.81 CHF 3.77

-16.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.4 CHF 76.3

$105 CHF 82.2

-7.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.93 CHF 6.22

$7.91 CHF 6.20

0.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.25 CHF 3.33

$4.33 CHF 3.40

-1.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.9 CHF 68.1

$86.4 CHF 67.7

0.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.70

$2.15 CHF 1.69

0.93%

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

$40.3K CHF 31.6K

$41.0K CHF 32.1K

-1.59%

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

$45.6K CHF 35.8K

$45.7K CHF 35.8K

-0.16%

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

$303 CHF 238

$299 CHF 234

1.48%

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

$54.6 CHF 42.83

$54.1 CHF 42.40

1.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.9 CHF 45.37

$59.6 CHF 46.69

-2.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.4 CHF 68.6

$90.5 CHF 70.9

-3.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.79 CHF 32.77

Cinema Ticket

$22.88 CHF 17.93

$22.41 CHF 17.57

2.10%

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

$3,044 CHF 2,386

$2,607 CHF 2,044

16.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 26.7K

$35.0K CHF 27.4K

-2.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 106

-0.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.7 CHF 53.1

$88.4 CHF 69.3

-23.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$177 CHF 139

0.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 CHF 147

$228 CHF 178

-17.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,717 CHF 1,346

$2,067 CHF 1,621

-16.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CHF 1,136

$1,477 CHF 1,158

-1.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,808 CHF 2,201

$3,728 CHF 2,923

-24.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,032 CHF 2,377

$2,817 CHF 2,209

7.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.0K CHF 12.5K

$18.1K CHF 14.2K

-11.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.6K CHF 9,112

$13.4K CHF 10.5K

-12.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,835 CHF 6,143

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Basel: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,717 in Rheinfelden and $2,067 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $106 in Rheinfelden vs $154 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $636 vs $694 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 7% 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 $5,184 in Rheinfelden and $5,523 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: $1,717 in Rheinfelden versus $2,067 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,044 in Rheinfelden 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 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 $3,456 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 7% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.