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: $2,032 in Rheinfelden versus $3,544 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,849 in Rheinfelden versus $5,518 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,665 in Rheinfelden versus $7,492 in Basel.

Living in Rheinfelden costs roughly 43% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rheinfelden 47% above, Basel 157% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.08 CHF 23.73

$29.93 CHF 24.42

-2.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 CHF 98.9

$125 CHF 102

-3.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.22 CHF 14.87

$18.69 CHF 15.25

-2.51%

Cappuccino

$6.29 CHF 5.13

$6.73 CHF 5.49

-6.54%

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

$5.49 CHF 4.48

$6.33 CHF 5.17

-13.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 CHF 3.92

$5.86 CHF 4.78

-18.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.49 CHF 6.93

$9.34 CHF 7.62

-9.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 CHF 5.42

$10.07 CHF 8.22

-34.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.89

White Bread (500g)

$3.96 CHF 3.23

$3.05 CHF 2.49

29.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.85 CHF 3.96

$3.32 CHF 2.71

46.08%

Eggs

$7.59 CHF 6.20

$8.34 CHF 6.80

-8.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.40 CHF 21.54

$26.21 CHF 21.39

0.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.17 CHF 22.99

$27.85 CHF 22.73

1.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.88 CHF 35.81

$42.56 CHF 34.73

3.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.42 CHF 3.61

$3.66 CHF 2.99

20.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 CHF 1.80

$2.40 CHF 1.96

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 CHF 2.51

$2.99 CHF 2.44

3.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 CHF 4.38

$4.83 CHF 3.94

11.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 CHF 1.41

$1.79 CHF 1.46

-3.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 CHF 1.60

$1.95 CHF 1.59

0.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.90

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 CHF 0.98

$1.66 CHF 1.36

-27.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.58 CHF 9.45

$11.63 CHF 9.49

-0.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.27 CHF 10.01

$12.24 CHF 9.99

0.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.58

$2.49 CHF 2.03

26.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 CHF 3.40

$3.18 CHF 2.59

30.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 CHF 3.10

$4.44 CHF 3.63

-14.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$124 CHF 101

$108 CHF 88.3

14.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 CHF 4.51

$7.99 CHF 6.52

-30.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.41 CHF 2.79

$4.59 CHF 3.75

-25.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.9 CHF 50.5

$88.0 CHF 71.8

-29.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.80

$2.29 CHF 1.87

-3.93%

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

$44.3K CHF 36.1K

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

0.11%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

$39.6K CHF 32.3K

0.69%

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

$247 CHF 202

$299 CHF 244

-17.22%

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

$48.92 CHF 39.92

$53.3 CHF 43.47

-8.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.4 CHF 52.6

$66.0 CHF 53.9

-2.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$110 CHF 90.2

$85.8 CHF 70.0

28.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.0 CHF 48.17

Cinema Ticket

$23.70 CHF 19.34

$23.81 CHF 19.44

-0.46%

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

$3,024 CHF 2,468

$3,026 CHF 2,470

-0.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.0K CHF 26.9K

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

-0.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$152 CHF 124

$147 CHF 120

3.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$82.6 CHF 67.4

$81.6 CHF 66.6

1.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$167 CHF 137

$164 CHF 134

2.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 CHF 164

$199 CHF 162

1.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 CHF 1,747

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CHF 1,247

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,243 CHF 1,831

$3,615 CHF 2,950

-37.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 CHF 2,512

$2,890 CHF 2,358

6.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,336 CHF 5,987

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Rheinfelden: September 7, 2026

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $121 in Rheinfelden vs $125 in Basel. Groceries flip the comparison at $620 vs $597, with Basel cheaper for home cooking.

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 74% 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 $3,048 in Rheinfelden and $5,316 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.

Childcare runs $3,024 in Rheinfelden versus $3,026 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Basel pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,032 in Rheinfelden versus $3,544 in Basel, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rheinfelden but tight or insufficient in Basel. The gap between the two cities makes Rheinfelden the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rheinfelden delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,032 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 74% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.