Cost of Living Comparison Between Riehen and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Riehen and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,556 in Riehen versus $3,566 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,257 in Riehen versus $5,581 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,959 in Riehen versus $7,595 in Basel.

Monthly costs are close between Riehen and Basel; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Riehen 159% above, Basel 160% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.64 CHF 25.72

$29.61 CHF 24.07

6.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 CHF 101

$128 CHF 104

-3.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.91 CHF 12.93

$18.47 CHF 15.01

-13.86%

Cappuccino

$6.40 CHF 5.21

$6.76 CHF 5.50

-5.33%

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

$5.29 CHF 4.30

$6.33 CHF 5.14

-16.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.48 CHF 4.45

$6.15 CHF 5.00

-10.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 CHF 5.97

$8.91 CHF 7.24

-17.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 CHF 5.56

$9.93 CHF 8.07

-31.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.80

$2.34 CHF 1.90

-5.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 CHF 2.65

$3.22 CHF 2.61

1.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 CHF 2.92

$3.36 CHF 2.73

6.85%

Eggs

$7.53 CHF 6.12

$8.03 CHF 6.53

-6.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.20 CHF 20.48

$26.94 CHF 21.90

-6.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.66 CHF 21.67

$27.83 CHF 22.63

-4.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.32 CHF 31.15

$41.82 CHF 34.00

-8.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 CHF 2.97

$3.60 CHF 2.93

1.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 CHF 1.41

$2.35 CHF 1.91

-25.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 CHF 2.15

$3.12 CHF 2.54

-15.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 CHF 3.82

$4.84 CHF 3.93

-2.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 CHF 1.44

$1.73 CHF 1.40

2.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.75

$2.07 CHF 1.68

3.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 CHF 1.93

$2.33 CHF 1.89

2.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CHF 1.03

$1.63 CHF 1.33

-22.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.41 CHF 9.27

$11.39 CHF 9.26

0.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 CHF 8.69

$12.41 CHF 10.09

-13.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.68 CHF 2.99

$2.62 CHF 2.13

40.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.97

$3.21 CHF 2.61

-24.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.35 CHF 3.53

$4.60 CHF 3.74

-5.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 85.5

$108 CHF 88.2

-2.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 CHF 8.14

$8.16 CHF 6.63

22.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.99 CHF 3.24

$4.67 CHF 3.80

-14.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$75.9 CHF 61.7

$85.9 CHF 69.8

-11.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.89

$2.27 CHF 1.85

2.20%

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

$43.0K CHF 35.0K

$43.8K CHF 35.6K

-1.84%

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

$40.7K CHF 33.1K

$39.8K CHF 32.4K

2.23%

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

$355 CHF 289

$304 CHF 247

16.87%

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

$43.00 CHF 34.96

$54.2 CHF 44.05

-20.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 CHF 48.71

$64.7 CHF 52.6

-7.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.7 CHF 77.8

$83.3 CHF 67.7

14.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.67 CHF 38.75

$58.5 CHF 47.56

-18.51%

Cinema Ticket

$21.42 CHF 17.41

$23.78 CHF 19.34

-9.92%

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

$1,880 CHF 1,528

$3,055 CHF 2,484

-38.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.0K CHF 30.0K

$32.6K CHF 26.5K

13.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 CHF 85.4

$147 CHF 120

-28.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.7 CHF 48.50

$81.7 CHF 66.4

-27.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$167 CHF 136

$166 CHF 135

0.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$194 CHF 158

$206 CHF 167

-5.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 CHF 1,488

$2,095 CHF 1,703

-12.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,468 CHF 1,194

$1,529 CHF 1,243

-4.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,503 CHF 2,848

$3,547 CHF 2,884

-1.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,520 CHF 2,049

$2,865 CHF 2,329

-12.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 13.2K

$18.2K CHF 14.8K

-10.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.6K CHF 10.3K

$14.8K CHF 12.1K

-14.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,943 CHF 7,271

$7,405 CHF 6,020

20.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.31

2.43

-4.94%

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

Last update for Riehen: August 31, 2026

Last update for Basel: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,830 in Riehen and $2,095 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riehen pays 21% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $124 in Riehen vs $128 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $565 vs $598 per month, with Riehen 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

Riehen vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 21% higher in Riehen, 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: $1,830 in Riehen versus $2,095 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,880 in Riehen versus $3,055 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Riehen – a meal for two runs $124 versus $128 in Basel. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Riehen 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 Riehen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,556 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Riehen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Riehen 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.

It comes down to priorities – Riehen wins on affordability, Basel on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.