Cost of Living Comparison Between Staefa and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Staefa and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,444 in Staefa versus $3,658 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,370 in Staefa versus $5,824 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,295 in Staefa versus $7,989 in Basel.

Living in Staefa costs roughly 6% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Staefa 158% above, Basel 174% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.05 CHF 25.39

$30.22 CHF 24.71

2.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 121

$157 CHF 128

-5.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.71 CHF 15.30

$19.82 CHF 16.21

-5.60%

Cappuccino

$6.44 CHF 5.26

$7.03 CHF 5.75

-8.39%

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

$5.66 CHF 4.63

$5.60 CHF 4.58

1.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 CHF 4.40

$5.11 CHF 4.18

5.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 CHF 6.20

$9.92 CHF 8.11

-23.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 CHF 5.66

$7.63 CHF 6.24

-9.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

$2.23 CHF 1.83

0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 CHF 2.26

$3.73 CHF 3.05

-26.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 CHF 2.87

$5.13 CHF 4.20

-31.77%

Eggs

$8.14 CHF 6.66

$7.88 CHF 6.44

3.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.56 CHF 22.53

$29.25 CHF 23.91

-5.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.68 CHF 26.72

$36.16 CHF 29.57

-9.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.1 CHF 40.97

$43.71 CHF 35.74

14.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.59

$3.86 CHF 3.16

-17.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 CHF 2.30

$2.71 CHF 2.21

3.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CHF 2.45

$4.21 CHF 3.44

-28.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 CHF 4.23

$6.92 CHF 5.66

-25.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 CHF 2.30

$3.24 CHF 2.65

-12.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.91

$2.85 CHF 2.33

-17.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CHF 2.07

$2.61 CHF 2.13

-3.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CHF 1.04

$1.55 CHF 1.27

-18.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.29 CHF 9.23

$11.90 CHF 9.73

-5.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.46 CHF 11.01

$13.44 CHF 10.99

0.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 CHF 2.18

$2.36 CHF 1.93

13.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 CHF 1.89

$3.12 CHF 2.55

-25.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 CHF 3.13

$4.65 CHF 3.80

-17.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 CHF 81.0

$107 CHF 87.6

-7.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.68 CHF 5.46

$8.15 CHF 6.67

-18.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.17 CHF 3.41

$4.16 CHF 3.40

0.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.69 CHF 34.91

$87.0 CHF 71.1

-50.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.82

$2.21 CHF 1.81

0.45%

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

$40.0K CHF 32.7K

$39.8K CHF 32.5K

0.62%

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

$40.1K CHF 32.8K

$44.5K CHF 36.4K

-9.80%

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

$260 CHF 213

$302 CHF 247

-13.97%

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

$35.12 CHF 28.72

$53.7 CHF 43.91

-34.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 CHF 44.09

$59.1 CHF 48.35

-8.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.6 CHF 73.3

$88.8 CHF 72.6

0.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.93 CHF 34.29

Cinema Ticket

$24.96 CHF 20.41

$23.07 CHF 18.87

8.19%

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

$2,865 CHF 2,343

$2,621 CHF 2,143

9.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.5K CHF 32.3K

$34.6K CHF 28.3K

14.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$140 CHF 114

$135 CHF 111

3.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 CHF 49.95

$86.8 CHF 71.0

-29.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 CHF 119

$179 CHF 146

-18.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 162

$233 CHF 191

-15.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 CHF 1,398

$2,070 CHF 1,692

-17.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,466 CHF 1,199

$1,475 CHF 1,206

-0.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,797 CHF 2,287

$3,823 CHF 3,126

-26.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,423 CHF 1,981

$2,868 CHF 2,345

-15.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.1K CHF 13.2K

$18.1K CHF 14.8K

-10.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.8K CHF 8,798

$14.6K CHF 11.9K

-26.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,233 CHF 5,914

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

2.55

-18.04%

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

Last update for Staefa: July 21, 2026

Last update for Basel: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,710 in Staefa and $2,070 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $148 in Staefa vs $157 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $647 vs $688 per month, with Staefa 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

Staefa vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $5,166 in Staefa and $5,487 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: $1,710 in Staefa versus $2,070 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,865 in Staefa versus $2,621 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Staefa 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 Staefa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,444 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Staefa hard to pass up.

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