Hi all! I'm moving from Sweden to Basel in November to work in the pharma industry for the foreseeable future. Having never lived abroad for any greater length of time, this will be quite the adventure.

As I have a very rudimentary understanding of both German and the Swiss way of life, you can be sure I will be around on the forum to ask stupid questions.

Welcome to the forum!

Actually, welcome to Basel, too. You'll find it a little warmer than Stockholm - even in the winter.

Thank you Oliver!

The Swedish winter (more the dark than the cold, actually) is actually one of the reasons I am moving, they feel more and more oppressive for every year...

Oh, and the fact that it feels silly that I have spent most of the three last decades living and working within just a few kilometres of where I was once born.

What would be your best recommendations for "getting to know" the city of Basel when I have some free time?

Welcome to Switzerland and Basel! Remember to book 18-21 February in your calendar, which is when the Fasnacht festival takes place. If you want to understand the local traditions, that's were you need to begin.

Try all the different foods around, there are lots of ethnicities. Get on the trams and trains and just explore. I learned a lot by just walking around, having no particular location in mind, then made mental notes when I passed by places I was interested in visiting.

Good luck on the new job.

Welcome,
write me a line when u want a little walk and coffee))

Hi,
I am evaluating to move from Stockholm to Basel or Rheinfelden (where my new job will be based). I am trying to understand where to be based at first but also the cost of living and lifestyle in general.

What are your first impressions of living there?

I know that tax wise Rheinfelden is much better however the city seem quite small and quiet.

Rheinfelden is not a city, it's a small town. Not spent any time there other than passing through. Actually, it's more like two small towns, one either side of the river, one in DE and one in CH, so there's a bit more choice that would otherwise be the case. Always looked like quite a nice place, and personally I'd much rather live there than in Basel proper. Well, probably, maybe.

If you want anything like a city then Basel is your best bet. It has a good mix of city stuff, but it's still relatively small, which I like. Commuting out to Rheinfelden from Basel would be against the normal flow of traffic, depending on your working hours, so not as bad as doing it the other way round, but still a commute.

I just got here a few days ago, so I'm sure I am not representative of all expats, but so far, I really like it here. I am living in Oberwil, which is about a 45 minute walk from Basel. There are cows just out the door, horses, etc, but it's also a very quick bus + tram (spårvagn) ride into town.

The tax can be vastly different, and depending on how high your salary is, the differences can be tens or hundreds of thousands of Swedish kronor, with living inside of Basel city being more expensive both in terms of tax and insurance costs. I think it all depends hugely on whether you would be nervous without the city lights and noises or not. I've lived in central Stockholm most of my life and I would still choose something outside the city centre when moving to Switzerland, as the countryside is so beautiful but still close to the city.

Thanks a lot for the infos, these are important to me. I will actually be relocated to Zurich and then commuting with another village south of Zurich lake. I will have for sure a lot of questions about Zurich, I will post them under a new thread.

Thanks again,
best
F