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: $3,569 in St. Gallen versus $3,653 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,433 in St. Gallen versus $5,857 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,296 in St. Gallen versus $8,062 in Basel.

Living in St. Gallen costs roughly 2% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Gallen 166% above, Basel 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.20 CHF 23.81

$30.72 CHF 24.22

-1.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 117

$156 CHF 123

-4.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.33 CHF 14.45

$19.37 CHF 15.27

-5.37%

Cappuccino

$6.23 CHF 4.91

$6.75 CHF 5.32

-7.70%

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

$5.87 CHF 4.63

$5.67 CHF 4.47

3.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 CHF 4.24

$5.02 CHF 3.96

7.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 CHF 5.81

$10.09 CHF 7.95

-27.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 CHF 5.64

$7.45 CHF 5.87

-4.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.76

$2.24 CHF 1.77

-0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CHF 2.11

$3.73 CHF 2.94

-28.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 CHF 2.82

$4.99 CHF 3.94

-28.26%

Eggs

$8.15 CHF 6.42

$8.16 CHF 6.44

-0.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.21 CHF 21.45

$28.67 CHF 22.60

-5.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.59 CHF 25.69

$35.93 CHF 28.33

-9.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.95 CHF 32.29

$43.12 CHF 34.00

-5.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 CHF 2.47

$3.98 CHF 3.14

-21.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 CHF 1.46

$2.60 CHF 2.05

-28.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 CHF 2.03

$4.24 CHF 3.35

-39.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.26 CHF 5.72

$6.96 CHF 5.49

4.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 CHF 2.02

$3.23 CHF 2.55

-20.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.85

$2.94 CHF 2.32

-20.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CHF 1.84

$2.51 CHF 1.98

-6.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CHF 0.87

$1.55 CHF 1.22

-28.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.04 CHF 8.71

$11.68 CHF 9.21

-5.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.81 CHF 9.31

$13.81 CHF 10.89

-14.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 CHF 1.70

$2.39 CHF 1.88

-9.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 CHF 1.82

$3.16 CHF 2.49

-26.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.32 CHF 3.41

$4.58 CHF 3.61

-5.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.6 CHF 63.5

$105 CHF 82.4

-22.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.86 CHF 5.41

$7.99 CHF 6.30

-14.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.20 CHF 3.31

$4.31 CHF 3.40

-2.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.0 CHF 62.3

$87.2 CHF 68.8

-9.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 CHF 1.66

$2.23 CHF 1.75

-5.83%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.5K

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

-1.18%

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

$41.5K CHF 32.7K

$44.3K CHF 34.9K

-6.45%

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

$332 CHF 262

$306 CHF 241

8.40%

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

$59.3 CHF 46.73

$53.5 CHF 42.20

10.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 CHF 41.63

$58.9 CHF 46.40

-10.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.2 CHF 64.1

$90.3 CHF 71.2

-9.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$99.3 CHF 78.3

$42.50 CHF 33.51

133.74%

Cinema Ticket

$30.30 CHF 23.89

$22.72 CHF 17.91

33.36%

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

$2,792 CHF 2,202

$2,574 CHF 2,029

8.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.9K CHF 27.5K

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

2.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$148 CHF 117

$134 CHF 105

10.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.8 CHF 51.1

$88.3 CHF 69.6

-26.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$156 CHF 123

$181 CHF 143

-13.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$238 CHF 187

$227 CHF 179

4.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 CHF 1,431

$2,112 CHF 1,665

-14.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 CHF 1,203

$1,519 CHF 1,197

0.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 CHF 2,154

$3,828 CHF 3,018

-28.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,369 CHF 1,868

$2,802 CHF 2,209

-15.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K CHF 8,511

$19.1K CHF 15.0K

-43.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,655 CHF 6,823

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

-39.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,138 CHF 5,628

$8,292 CHF 6,537

-13.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

2.55

-1.96%

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

Last update for St. Gallen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Basel: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,814 in St. Gallen and $2,112 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 16% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $149 in St. Gallen vs $156 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $611 vs $685 per month, with St. Gallen 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

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

St. Gallen wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making St. Gallen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Basel earns 16% less. 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: $1,814 in St. Gallen versus $2,112 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,792 in St. Gallen versus $2,574 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% 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. St. Gallen 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 St. Gallen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,569 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes St. Gallen 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 St. Gallen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.