Basel at a glance
- Basel ranks 2nd of 5 priced cities in Switzerland on cost: $2,911 a month in essentials, 4% above Bern, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $7,299 covers that 2.5×.
- 98.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at canton level.
- PM2.5 averages 9.8 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 5 Switzerland cities we track, so every row says whether Basel is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $2,911 | $2,912 | $1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,515 | $1,515 | same |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $2,171 | $2,171 | same |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $295 | $299 | $4 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $633 | $644 | $11 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $362 | $343 | $19 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $106 | $101 | $5 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $7,299 | $6,844 | $455 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $2,859 | $2,859 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $3,551 | $3,593 | $42 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Basel, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $29.51 | $30.74 | $1.23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $126.64 | $126.64 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $18.44 | $19.06 | $0.62 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $6.45 | $6.45 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $9.10 | $9.84 | $0.74 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $9.84 | $9.22 | $0.62 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $6.39 | $6.03 | $0.36 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $5.94 | $5.40 | $0.54 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $2.31 | $2.25 | $0.06 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $3.31 | $3.72 | $0.41 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $3.31 | $3.32 | $0.01 |
| Eggs, 12 | $7.82 | $7.82 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $26.37 | $26.09 | $0.28 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $27.82 | $27.82 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $3.67 | $3.67 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.33 | $2.27 | $0.06 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $4.73 | $4.83 | $0.10 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.67 | $1.86 | $0.19 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $2.00 | $2.04 | $0.04 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.61 | $1.33 | $0.28 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $4.55 | $4.55 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $105.74 | $100.82 | $4.92 |
| Taxi start | $7.99 | $7.99 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $4.67 | $4.67 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $2.30 | $2.31 | $0.01 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $297.38 | $287.42 | $9.96 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $64.76 | $55.94 | $8.82 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $53.05 | $37.89 | 1.40× as much |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $83.91 | $90.55 | $6.64 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $23.36 | $24.59 | $1.23 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Basel has 98.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (canton level). That is the 5th-highest of 6 Switzerland cities we track. Switzerland's national figure is 104.2, so Basel runs 6 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Basel ranks against every city we track
Basel sits ahead of 99% of the 545 cities we track on local salary. On salary against local costs it is ahead of 97% of 534. Its weakest measure is cost of living, ahead of only 4% of 542.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Basel sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Need the full Switzerland model?
Open the gated deep-dive for city shortlist, cost detail, weather, visa, tax, dating-market signals, and subregion rankings.
Unlock Switzerland deep-dive
Photo: Ahmet Düz, Dreiländer- & Oberrheinfotograf, CC BY-SA 4.0.
