Moving to Basel. What will this Salary cover?

Daily Life, Swiss News and General Topics
1
We are moving to Basel this Fall from an EU country.

The salary we will be living off of is 150k CHF per year.

I am wondering if this is a realistic income to live in the city with considering we have 3 kids and plan to rent an apartment but also will need childcare during the day as we will be working at least part time to full time

Our oldest will be about 3yo and our two youngest (twins) will be around 6 months.

Will this salary cover rent on say a 2 bedroom apartment + childcare or schooling for our oldest and still make it possible to eat/live? I have no sense of the cost there other then the short time we spent there this spring where 2 pizzas and a salad cost us almost 75 Euro

Thanks in advance for thoughts or suggestions on this.

2
I should also add, we will be working part time for a University in Basel and my husband speaks fluent Swiss German but is not 'local'

3
Are you a troll? or just have no idea how to use the the search function? It's amazing in this case that you are being offered a salary for more than twice the amount most families live on.

Very interested to see the actual bill from that resturant!

EDIT YOU had already relocated to Basel on 15th February acording to another thread.

Fondue recs (with a toddler) in Basel-Stadt

4
Read this first

Read this after

When I see this kind of question, I am split in two.

One part of me wants to help, give infos, etc. like those two links above.

The other me wants to scream and roll my eyes over and over and over again in a huge exasperation for two reasons:

1. Because the op didn't look around the forum so he could have found out that question have been answered millions of times.

2. Because if the op gets this salary, it means he has some specifics skills and I am wondering how come he can't find this answer.

But I won't let this second me take over the first me.

So welcome to Switzerland OP and I hope you'll like it here. Many many people live with well under this salary so you'll survive.

Now, go around and read all the infos you are looking for.

5
I believe she means that she and her husband together have this income, which can be the average per person, however it is a luck when both family members work, as that income is above the average assuming that the common is that one family member works

Hopefully it will help you surviving in Switzerland, also note that it depends more on each one's spending habbits how to live within the available income.

If your skills are not into computers and internet, I am listing here some few tips that may help you.

Cost of Rentals: this website may help you to know the costs of renting an appartment in the area you are willing to live www.homegate.ch

Insurance & Taxes: this website may help you to know the cost of medical and other insurance in Switzerland www.comparis.ch

Shopping and costs of foods and drinks: I suggest you visit www.migros.ch and www.coop.ch they have list of prices of different types of things they sell including food you can find it here for Migros

Train and Transport tickets: www.sbb.ch/en

I can't help you much about school costs and nany's but if you go to jobs wanted in this forum, you will find some posting that they can work as nanys or au pair - and there you can negotiate the costs

Good luck with your move, and all the best to your family.

6
You will be fine. That is a very generous household income even for two people working (although I think you are working part time?)

Yes you may have been shocked by the price of eating out - it is expensive so people don't do it so much. You are near the border so cycle over to St Louis and enjoy lower euro prices immediately. Also live further out of the centre to enjoy lower rent. And yes childcare is expensive in comparison to many other European countries (although similar to prices charged in south east England).

But this salary will cover everything, to be sure. How do I know? Because many of us are managing very nicely (holidays/eating out (occasionaly)/making savings) on quite a bit less.

7
And a warm f*ing welcome to the English Forum to you, too.

I hate these sorts of posts. They make the English Forum an uglier place than it needs to be. And a while ago, I wrote a post asking that we try to be more civil.

A little civility, please! Be welcoming to newcomers...

Then I spent considerable time putting together a couple of FAQs so that all of the relevant information was in one place, so that instead of having to post a snarky response, we could simply direct the new member to the post. It wouldn't take any more effort to point them in the right direction.

FAQ: Is CHF100'000 a good salary?

FAQ: A brief guide to salaries in Switzerland

See? That doesn't take much more time than a rant, and it's a much nicer way to greet someone who's new to our community.

It's a beautiful, sunny Sunday. Life is good.

Welcome to the forum, tokori ! I hope the two posts above help to answer your question.

8
Give me 30,000 Fr and I'll explain how you can happily live here on 120,000 CHF.

9
Sorry. I tried to use the search function but I am really bad with the internet and ended up just feeling overwhelmed by the results- so I apologize.

Yes, its the total household income for two of us working part time before taxes and other expenses (like childcare which I am concerned it a major cost there?).

We have three children and a large dog.

We'd like to be rather central in the city so its near work but we do NOT have a car for example but at least two bedrooms to sleep in. Coming from other cities we have lived in (london, nyc) this income would be manageable but barely with 3 kids in childcare...

10
So another overpaid IT expert coming to bleed us dry.

It's an obscene amount that the majority of Swiss peasants can only dream about - it would however only cover my bar bill.

You'll need to lose the dog, though - the family can live well on this salary, but dog food is horrendously expensive - so if you keep it, you'll all end up eating horse.

11
As previously said - as a total household income that is absolutely adequate. You may have to manage your budget but you will not have to do without (well - within reason - Gucci handbags and monthly Spa Days may be off the list but you probably don't buy/do these anyway??) Yes childcare is expensive but as you say you are both working part time there could be a compromise here so avoiding the costs of full time childcare?

There may be a compromise to be made here so as to get enough space for the dog/children. But anywhere on the urban Basel tram/bus network is an easy commute. Public transport here is second to none and (relatively speaking - compare with SE England commuting prices) very cheap.

In no way will this salary cause you a major headache. Of course none of us know what your current spending patterns/habits are, so you may still feel it is a squeeze in comparison to the spending power you may currently enjoy - but as to whether it is doable, the answer again is absolutely, and doable with a certain amount of leeway for holidays/trips home/the odd meal out with a babysitter thrown in.

12
Interesting that you feel so emotional about it!

There is a third option - to just not answer or even read these requests for help. From what I can see there are nearly always people who have the time and inclination to do so.

I agree that the search function is the right first port of call but everyone's situation is different. Having 150K in Basel with 3 kids contains three variables that are unlikely to be matched by another recent discussion.

And even if they are, new arrivals need reassurance. I was able to get it from the company I came here with, as they employ plenty of UK expats that I was able to meet and correspond with before arriving. Not everyone has that resource.

13
I hear the ramen in basel is quite affordable. You should be fine.

14
When both family members work, the taxes are a bit higher,

We may try to calculate costs of living roughly here together if you like, baring in mind that this is just my estimates which may not exactly come with your spending habits.

Assuming that per month, the taxes that will be deduced from both salaries will be around 35% (I believe that maybe less) then per month will remain 12'500 CHF per month

Appartment Rent, difficult to say but from the rental website it vary from 1800 in CH 4052 Basel up till more than 4000 in CH 4001 Basel, let us assume you will select something for 2'500 CHF

Food and Drink, making use of disconunts and monthly offers, let us assume that 1500 CHF per month.

Transportation , I believe a monthly subscription in the public transport around your area, may cost you and your husband less than 200 CHF both, dogs needs tickets as well, highest cost would be when both of you buy a subscription to all the Swiss transport which is called General Abonoment, it will cost you both less than 600 CHF per month.

Medical Insurance, this really varry due to different circumstances and very difficult to estimate, but let us put 1000 CHF for the whole family per month.

You may need to get some other insurance, like appartment and some other stuff, let us assume it will be 300 CHF (definitely maybe less if you are not insuring everything).

Summing this up

Income 12'500 CHF

Expenses

Rent : 2500 CHF

Food : 1500 CHF

Transport : 600 CHF

Insurance : 1000 CHF

Other insurance : 300 CHF

Other Expenses (TV, Electricity, Water,...) 100 CHF

-------------------------- --------------------------

Total: 6000 CHF

I tried to put more than the max. amount, but I believe your expenses will be definitly less.

You need also to consider that the move itself needs some expenses where you may transfer or buy some furniture and goods.

Now for the nany costs, and your dog's care, definitly the rest of the income will cover - you will hopefully also have some savings to enjoy visiting some nice parts of Switzerland and Europe as well.

If I messed up with calculating something, then hopefully other EF experts will comment and fix.

All the best.

15

Baselland taxes are lower than Basel stadt - another reason for spreading the renting location a little wider.

16
This is really helpful indeed, but you have forgotten also major cost and that is childcare for 3 kids (and a dog-walker sometimes)

Since both of them are working at the University, this means usually long hours (and not very well paid; i.e. post-doc or similar)

Cost of full-day daycare:

Approx 1500 - 2000 CHF per month per child .

So, I am not sure actually that the total salary will be enough to live comfortably. You will survive, surely.

There is another option - that one of you do not work. It is a bit degrading, in 21st century, that e.g. woman stays at home because working is not possible (given the cost). In my opinion. But hey, tradition and all.

Good luck, though. I think your question is very valid. Welcome to Basel, looking forward to meet you once you move!

17
yes childcare will cost us 6,000 CHF a month , for 3 kids and that is assuming they are only part time. . . not full.

thanks for the specific estimates of cost and breakdowns, very much appreciate them.

18
Hopefully full time childcare won't be required as you say at least one of you is working part time? This will reduce the childcare bill significantly. Plus there are part time child care options (playgroups particularly for the older child) that come in significantly cheaper than using a full time daycare scenario.

I work (very) part time and use one of these playgroups and it makes a big difference financially in comparison to going for the full time wrap around (ie 7am to 7pm) daycare offering - but that is because my jobs are sufficiently part time to fit around the reduced playgroup hours ...

19
and neither my husband nor I want to stay home full time but I appreciate the 'bit degrading' suggestion regardless.

20

how much are they about? how old do the children generally need to be and do you know much about the hours?

Our oldest will be 3years old when we move there, the twins will be around 6 months of age. We will need childcare probably 10-5pm most days