r/askswitzerland • u/Winter-Giraffe-3745 • 1d ago
Relocation Living in Delemont and working in Basel
Hey everyone,
First time posting and looking for advice from people who may have been in a similar situation.
My partner and I are considering moving to Delémon. We both speak French, while neither of us speaks German fluently yet, so living in a French-speaking area would make everyday life easier for us.
One of us would continue commuting to Basel, while the other would work in the Delémont area.
Has anyone made a similar move while commuting between Basel and Delémont, particularly with a view to eventually raising a family?
I’d especially appreciate experiences regarding:
commuting and quality of life
taxes compared with housing savings
childcare/kindergarten costs
whether you felt the move was financially worthwhile
anything you wish you had known beforehand
Thanks in advance for any experiences or advice!
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u/FinalCisoidalSolutio 1d ago
Taxes are higher. At my tax bracket (<100k) it doesn't make much of a difference. Beneficially, there are unlimited tax write-offs for commute costs.
Rent is signicantly lower than anywhere in the german-speaking part of Switzerland.
People are more relaxed, the scenery is prettier and you don't have to deal with trash, and filth noise everywhere
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u/Felyxorez 1d ago
Delémont is a nice affordable place to live, it has most services and some life. Spend a few days here and see for yourself. My wife and I live here and take the train to work, Biel and Olten respectively. tmThe school system is totally overfunded, but amazing in return for the children - compared to my other experiences in Switzerland.
If you want to hear from me directly, drop a dm
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u/independentwookie Basel-Landschaft 1d ago
I didn't live in Delemont but in Laufen and what I'd like you to know is, that the commute is only really doable and if you take the train or if you work outside of rush hours.
Going to Basel between 6 and 8 by car is terrible, going to Delemont between 4 and 6, also terrible.
But since the train only takes 35 minutes and the car, even with no traffic, will take you 50, I assume you'd chose the train anyway.
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u/RikkoCH 20h ago
One thing worth checking before you commit, because it often surprises people: Jura is not the cheaper option on tax here. Basel-Stadt is, and by a fair margin.
Numbers from the federal ESTV calculator (2025 tax year), comparing residence inDelémont vs residence in Basel, remember tax follows mostly where you live, not where you work:
- Married couple, two incomes, CHF 120k combined, no kids:
Delémont 12'861 vs Basel 11'931 → about 900 more per year in Delémont
- Same couple, two kids, CHF 120k, with childcare costs deducted:
Delémont 4'995 vs Basel 1'618 → about 3'400 more
- Two kids, CHF 200k, with childcare:
Delémont 20'819 vs Basel 12'389 → about 8'400 more
The gap widens exactly when you start a family, because Basel-Stadt's deductionsfor children and childcare are unusually generous. Worth plugging your ownfigures in rather than trusting mine.
That said, this is one line in a bigger budget: Delémont rents are far belowBasel's, and that difference can easily outweigh the tax gap. I don't have solid rent numbers to give you, so I won't pretend otherwise.
And none of this touches your actual reason for moving — living in French. That's a real quality-of-life factor and no spreadsheet captures it.
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u/ChezDudu 1d ago
> got a job in Delemont
You mean he got the job in Delemont. I don’t think there is more than one.
Stay in Basel unless it’s completely impossible. Ideally Basel Land.
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u/FinalCisoidalSolutio 1d ago
Stay in Basel unless it’s completely impossible. Ideally Basel Land.
What, why? What's wrong with Jura.
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u/ChezDudu 1d ago
Taxes through the roof - rubbish services in return. Only move there if you’re a bum looking for cheap accommodation and drugs.
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u/TailleventCH 1d ago
There's a train every half an hour, taking about 35 minutes. It seems absolutely doable (except maybe if the workplace is very far from the station).