ImmigrationDBVerified immigration data
On this page

Living in Basel

Basel had 177,571 residents at the end of 2024 and is a city in Switzerland. For Basel, the foreign population count was 70,970 at the end of 2024.

Higher unemployment than 98% of Swiss cities that publish it and dirtier air than 93% of Swiss cities that publish it.

Which Switzerland-wide rules apply when you move to Basel?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in SwitzerlandNational rates and thresholds that apply in Basel.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for Basel. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Basel recurring monthly costs, € per month€2553Private kindergarten€260Utilities, 85 m² flat€93Transport pass€73Fitness club€58Internet, 60 Mbps€43Mobile plan, 10 GB€ / month

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly73.23 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo14Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Col Groceries Index Basket Eur Month141.5 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo14Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited57.69 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo14Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly2,553 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo14Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant25.75 eur3 Aug 2026Numbeo14Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB43.27 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo14Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass93.35 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo14Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home259.5 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo14Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Basel?

The unemployment rate is about 6.2 % (2021).

  • Unemployment rate: 6.21 % · Eurostat2
Unemployment across cities in SwitzerlandUnemployment in Basel is 6.2%. Of 175 cities with data, 52 have unemployment of 2 to under 3%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Switzerland per band12 cities: 0% to under 1%120–151 cities: 1% to under 2%511–252 cities: 2% to under 3%522–338 cities: 3% to under 4%383–415 cities: 4% to under 5%154–52 cities: 5% to under 6%25–62 cities: 6% to under 7%26–7Basel 6.2%1 city: 8% to under 9%18–91 city: 9% to under 10%19–101 city: 11% to under 12%111–12

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median gross salary (regional)4,426 EUR/month31 Dec 2024www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch13Official
Unemployment rate6.21 %country median 2.3%31 Dec 2021Eurostat2Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Basel. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

arbeit.swiss — Public employment service

State Secretariat for Economic Affairs / public employment service

Job SearchCareer Counselling
Register
Open the Switzerland service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Basel. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport12 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights6Official
Nearest airportBRN3 Aug 2026OurAirports7Official
Distance to nearest airport72 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports7Official
Public transport monthly pass90 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Eurostat3Official

Language courses and integration in Basel

0 exact private or nonprofit provider records are linked to this city as supplemental evidence. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Verified locally

German-course access and listings in Basel-Stadt — State Language Course

Kanton Basel-Stadt

For newcomers, migrants, refugees.

GermanIn Personvaries; newcomer voucher may apply
Open official information
Check courses in BaselHow the country programme works
Exact city-linked records checked 2026-08-10. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Basel?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 10.9 µg/m³ (2021) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

  • PM2.5 — annual mean: 10.87 µg/m³ · cdn.who.int1
Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Basel average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C-10°0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND26°0°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Basel average monthly precipitation, mm0255075100484550649887898870746565JFMAMJJASONDmm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
Basel average monthly sunshine, hours06012018024065851351671862122352171601076554JFMAMJJASONDhours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Basel annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit52510.9PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in SwitzerlandAnnual PM2.5 in Basel is 10.9 µg/m³. Of 42 cities with data, 11 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in Switzerland per band1 city: 2 µg/m³ to under 3 µg/m³12–33 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³36–78 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³87–811 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³118–99 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³99–108 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³810–11Basel 10.91 city: 16 µg/m³ to under 17 µg/m³116–171 city: 17 µg/m³ to under 18 µg/m³117–18

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean10.87 µg/m³country median 8.831 Dec 2021cdn.who.int1Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 5.1 · Feb 7.1 · Mar 11.8 · Apr 16.2 · May 20 · Jun 23.7 · Jul 25.8 · Aug 25.3 · Sep 20.7 · Oct 15.4 · Nov 9.2 · Dec 5.7 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI12Official
Average night-time low by monthJan -0.5 · Feb -0.1 · Mar 2.6 · Apr 5.5 · May 9.5 · Jun 13.1 · Jul 14.9 · Aug 14.8 · Sep 11 · Oct 7.6 · Nov 3.2 · Dec 0.4 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI12Official
Average temperature by monthJan 2.2 · Feb 3.2 · Mar 7 · Apr 10.7 · May 14.6 · Jun 18.2 · Jul 20.2 · Aug 19.7 · Sep 15.4 · Oct 11.1 · Nov 6 · Dec 2.9 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI12Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 47.8 · Feb 45.2 · Mar 49.5 · Apr 63.5 · May 97.6 · Jun 86.6 · Jul 88.9 · Aug 88.3 · Sep 70.2 · Oct 74.4 · Nov 64.9 · Dec 65 mm31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI12Official
Average sunshine by monthJan 64.5 · Feb 85.2 · Mar 134.6 · Apr 167.4 · May 185.6 · Jun 211.9 · Jul 234.9 · Aug 216.5 · Sep 160.1 · Oct 107 · Nov 65.4 · Dec 54.2 hours31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI12Official

Cities of a similar size in Switzerland

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Switzerland cities
Genève209,061 residentsLausanne144,873 residentsBern137,995 residentsWinterthur120,376 residentsLuzern86,234 residentsSt. Gallen78,863 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Basel?

The published population was 177,571 people in 2024. Source: Switzerland official denominator source11

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Basel residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport60%Foreign residents40%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents387.2 cars per 1000 people31 Dec 2024Eurostat3Official
City area23.88 km²2014Exact BFS Arealstatistik municipality area: sum of exhaustive NOAS top-level categories 1-4, PERIOD=A4 (2013-2018), FJ=2014, municipality REGION state 2025-01-01; hectares converted to km².5Official
Foreign Nonpermanent Resident Population Total2,416 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20248Official
Foreign-resident share33.7 %31 Dec 2025Eurostat4Official
Foreign residents70,970 people31 Dec 2024Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024.9Official
Nonpermanent Resident Population Total2,416 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20248Official
Population density7,436 people/km²31 Dec 2024Reproducible density from BFS STATPOP permanent population at 31.12.2024 divided by the exact official BFS municipality area denominator (2013-2018; FJ=2014; area observed_at=2014).5Official
Population177,571 people31 Dec 2024Switzerland official denominator source11Official
Swiss Nonpermanent Resident Population Total0 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20248Official
Swiss Permanent Resident Population Total106,601 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20248Official
Foreign residents over time10 published observations, 2016–2025
Foreign residents in Basel by year, residents67,05985,961104,864123,76620162018202020222025119,855residents

Foreign residents rose 18.6% between 2016 and 2025, from 101,090 to 119,855.

International community in Basel

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Permanent resident population, total sex, all ages · 2025-12-31

Published groupPeopleShare
Place of birth - total180,097100.0%
In Switzerland95,82853.2%
Abroad84,26946.8%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source10

Country of birth

Non-permanent resident population, total sex, all ages · 2025-12-31

Published groupPeopleShare
Place of birth - total2,374100.0%
Abroad2,33098.1%
In Switzerland441.9%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source10

Citizenship

Non-permanent resident population, total sex, all ages · 2025-12-31

Published groupPeopleShare
Citizenship - total2,374100.0%
Germany44718.8%
Ukraine1918.0%
Philippines1667.0%
India1616.8%
Afghanistan1104.6%
Italy1094.6%
Spain964.0%
United Kingdom954.0%
France602.5%
Show 82 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Romania602.5%
United States562.4%
Indonesia562.4%
Somalia421.8%
Hungary411.7%
Poland401.7%
Portugal391.6%
China311.3%
Austria301.3%
Türkiye301.3%
Japan281.2%
No indication261.1%
Netherlands220.9%
Eritrea220.9%
Ireland200.8%
Colombia200.8%
South Korea190.8%
Bulgaria180.8%
Greece170.7%
Bosnia and Herzegovina170.7%
Slovakia160.7%
Croatia130.5%
Tunisia130.5%
Brazil130.5%
Syria130.5%
Canada120.5%
Mexico110.5%
Sri Lanka110.5%
Belgium100.4%
Serbia100.4%
Russia90.4%
Ethiopia90.4%
Lithuania80.3%
Algeria80.3%
Iraq80.3%
Finland70.3%
Sweden70.3%
Congo (Kinshasa)70.3%
Morocco70.3%
Nigeria70.3%
Saudi Arabia70.3%
Israel60.3%
Czechia50.2%
Peru50.2%
Denmark40.2%
North Macedonia40.2%
Latvia40.2%
South Africa40.2%
Taiwan (Chinese Taipei)40.2%
Iran40.2%
Thailand40.2%
Albania30.1%
Norway30.1%
Kosovo30.1%
Guinea-Bissau30.1%
Cuba30.1%
Pakistan30.1%
Australia30.1%
Slovenia20.1%
Côte d'Ivoire20.1%
Zimbabwe20.1%
Sudan20.1%
Egypt20.1%
South Sudan20.1%
Argentina20.1%
Malaysia20.1%
Azerbaijan20.1%
Georgia20.1%
Malta10.0%
Estonia10.0%
Belarus10.0%
Niger10.0%
Rwanda10.0%
Tanzania10.0%
Chile10.0%
Dominican Republic10.0%
Ecuador10.0%
Mongolia10.0%
Singapore10.0%
Vietnam10.0%
Kazakhstan10.0%
Tajikistan10.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source10

Is Basel a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker60%strong on work, weak on safety · range 50–70%
Skilled employee64%strong on work, weak on safety · range 54–74%
Student63%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 51–75%
Family52%strong on family, weak on safety · range 40–64%
Retirement54%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 42–66%
Foreign residents70,970 people31 Dec 2024Official source · Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024.
Population177,571 people31 Dec 2024Official source · Switzerland official denominator source
Median gross salary (regional)4,426 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch
Unemployment rate6.21 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Eurostat
PM2.5 — annual mean10.87 µg/m³31 Dec 2021Official source · cdn.who.int
Cars per 1,000 residents387.2 cars per 1000 people31 Dec 2024Official source · Eurostat
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-27

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Basel under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Basel?

The published population was 177,571 people in 2024. Source: Switzerland official denominator source.

Is the air quality good in Basel?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 10.9 µg/m³ (2021) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: cdn.who.int.

What is the unemployment rate in Basel?

The unemployment rate is about 6.2 % (2021). Source: Eurostat.

What is the typical salary around Basel?

The median gross salary is 4,426 EUR/month. Source: www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch.

How many foreign residents live in Basel?

70,970 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024..

How much is public transport in Basel?

A monthly transport pass is 93.35 EUR/month. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Numbeo.

Is Basel a good place to live?

Basel may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Place of birth - total live in Basel?

The official country of birth distribution records 180,097 people (100.0%) in the source-defined population for 2025-12-31. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Basel, Switzerland: salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/2701-basel/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_basel-switzerland-salary-cost-of-living_98498aa5a7c1,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Basel, Switzerland: salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/2701-basel/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Basel, Switzerland: salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/2701-basel/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. cdn.who.int cdn.who.int · checked 2026-08-26
  2. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
  3. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
  4. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
  5. Exact BFS Arealstatistik municipality area: sum of exhaustive NOAS top-level categories 1-4, PERIOD=A4 (2013-2018), FJ=2014, municipality REGION state 2025-01-01; hectares converted to km². disseminate.stats.swiss · checked 2026-07-15
  6. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  7. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  8. Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 2024 pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-07-18
  9. Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024. pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2024-12-31
  10. Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO) pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-30
Show 4 more sources
  1. Switzerland official denominator source pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-07-14
  2. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-02
  3. www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-27
  4. Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.