Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Gallen and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Gallen and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,743 in St. Gallen versus $3,544 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,379 in St. Gallen versus $5,518 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,016 in St. Gallen versus $7,492 in Basel.

Living in St. Gallen is roughly 6% more expensive than in Basel, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Gallen 171% above, Basel 157% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.37 CHF 23.76

$29.93 CHF 24.21

-1.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$150 CHF 122

$125 CHF 101

19.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.38 CHF 14.87

$18.69 CHF 15.12

-1.66%

Cappuccino

$6.27 CHF 5.07

$6.73 CHF 5.44

-6.84%

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

$6.07 CHF 4.91

$6.33 CHF 5.12

-4.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 CHF 4.27

$5.86 CHF 4.74

-10.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.17 CHF 7.42

$9.34 CHF 7.55

-1.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.51 CHF 5.27

$10.07 CHF 8.15

-35.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$2.32 CHF 1.88

-3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 CHF 2.57

$3.05 CHF 2.47

4.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.92 CHF 3.17

$3.32 CHF 2.68

18.07%

Eggs

$7.80 CHF 6.31

$8.34 CHF 6.74

-6.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.19 CHF 21.19

$26.21 CHF 21.20

-0.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.72 CHF 24.04

$27.85 CHF 22.53

6.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.85 CHF 32.24

$42.56 CHF 34.42

-6.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.56

$3.66 CHF 2.96

-13.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 CHF 1.34

$2.40 CHF 1.94

-31.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 CHF 2.01

$2.99 CHF 2.42

-17.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.25 CHF 5.06

$4.83 CHF 3.91

29.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 CHF 1.36

$1.79 CHF 1.45

-5.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CHF 1.77

$1.95 CHF 1.57

12.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 CHF 1.86

$2.33 CHF 1.89

-1.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 CHF 0.99

$1.66 CHF 1.34

-26.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.97 CHF 8.88

$11.63 CHF 9.41

-5.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.52 CHF 9.32

$12.24 CHF 9.90

-5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$2.49 CHF 2.02

-11.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.95

$3.18 CHF 2.57

-23.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.38 CHF 3.54

$4.44 CHF 3.59

-1.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$129 CHF 104

$108 CHF 87.5

19.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.85 CHF 5.54

$7.99 CHF 6.46

-14.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.88 CHF 3.95

$4.59 CHF 3.72

6.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.3 CHF 64.2

$88.0 CHF 71.2

-9.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.81

$2.29 CHF 1.85

-2.62%

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

$36.2K CHF 29.3K

$44.2K CHF 35.8K

-18.23%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.1K

$39.6K CHF 32.1K

0.16%

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

$314 CHF 254

$299 CHF 241

5.08%

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

$38.80 CHF 31.39

$53.3 CHF 43.09

-27.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 CHF 45.01

$66.0 CHF 53.4

-15.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.0 CHF 66.4

$85.8 CHF 69.4

-4.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$97.4 CHF 78.8

$59.0 CHF 47.75

65.03%

Cinema Ticket

$30.46 CHF 24.64

$23.81 CHF 19.26

27.93%

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

$2,327 CHF 1,883

$3,026 CHF 2,448

-23.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K CHF 26.2K

$33.3K CHF 26.9K

-2.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 CHF 121

$147 CHF 119

1.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 CHF 53.9

$81.6 CHF 66.0

-18.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 CHF 122

$164 CHF 132

-7.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 150

$199 CHF 161

-6.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,838 CHF 1,487

$2,141 CHF 1,732

-14.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,747 CHF 1,413

$1,528 CHF 1,236

14.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,878 CHF 2,328

$3,615 CHF 2,924

-20.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,221 CHF 1,797

$2,890 CHF 2,337

-23.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K CHF 9,962

$18.4K CHF 14.9K

-33.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,335 CHF 7,551

$14.5K CHF 11.7K

-35.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,935 CHF 5,609

$7,336 CHF 5,934

-5.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

2.43

-13.58%

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

Last update for St. Gallen: September 6, 2026

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,838 in St. Gallen and $2,141 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $150 in St. Gallen vs $125 in Basel. Groceries flip the comparison at $587 vs $597, with St. Gallen 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

St. Gallen vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Basel wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in St. Gallen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Basel the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Basel. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,838 in St. Gallen versus $2,141 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,327 in St. Gallen versus $3,026 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in St. Gallen pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Basel 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 Basel delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,544 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Basel hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, St. Gallen 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 Basel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in St. Gallen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.