Shared apartments, spare rooms and roommates in Basel

Life in Switzerland has a very high cost of living, so choosing a room in a shared apartment is the only option for many young people with a student budget. However, just know that this alternative is the most fun of all since you get to enjoy the ups and downs of living in a new city with people in the same situation as you.

Advantages and disadvantages of sharing a flat in Basel

Here are some of the most outstanding advantages and disadvantages of living in a shared flat in the Swiss city:

Advantages of sharing a flat in Basel

• You will be able to look for a spare room in different convenient areas to live as a student, both close to the city centre and the University of Basel. Some of the most popular neighbourhoods are Clara, Altstadt Grossbasel, Gundeldingen and St. Alban.

• Thanks to the money you will save on rent you will be able to fully enjoy the leisure offer in the city and the activities organized by student associations.

Disadvantages of sharing a flat in Basel

• The demand for rooms in private shared flats and residences is usually very high, so you have to search well in advance if you want to find a place to stay.

• Possibility of arguments or misunderstandings if there is not good communication regarding house rules, especially regarding the use of heating in winter.

Erasmus App for your exchange programme in Basel

For your experience in Basel to be the best possible, we recommend that you use one of the Erasmus+ apps at your disposal, such as the one from the European Commission. In this app, you will find information about the programs, advice on living away from home and instructions on procedures that you will have to do. Among the advice of students from previous years, they normally tell newbies to take advantage of living in Basel to travel around Switzerland and enjoy the incredible nature of the country.

How to meet people in Basel

To avoid loneliness upon your arrival, we suggest you share a flat and befriend your colleagues as soon as you arrive. You can also consider some (or all) of the following options:

Student associations in Basel

One of the preferred student organizations for Erasmus is ESN Basel. With it, you will be able to be part of a large number of activities, events and trips that are organized for international students to interact with each other and delve deeper into the country's culture. In Basel, you will also be able to join the Buddy Program, in which you can connect with a student who will help you with everything you need about university and life in the city.

Facebook groups for Erasmus in Basel

There are several groups in this social network created so that international students can get to know each other. In addition, in the ESN Basel, you will have access to the calendar of events. Some of the activities you can join are ice skating, city tours, pub crawls, affordable trips to other cities like Vienna or other cities in Switzerland, and international dinners, among others.

Whatsapp groups for Erasmus in Basel

In some Facebook groups, you will find WhatsApp groups to join, and you also have the opportunity to join the ESN Basel Telegram. The idea of ​​these is that you can be in contact with other students 

Tips for living in a shared apartment in Basel

In this section we give you some tips so that life in shared flats in Basel can be the best possible:

• Student residences in this Swiss city are usually subsidized, so the monthly cost is cheaper than spare rooms in private shared flats.

• If you are in the city in autumn, you can't miss the Basel Autumn Fair. In it, you can delve into the local culture in this colourful celebration, where there are crafts, gastronomy, exhibitions and art shows.

Frequently asked questions about sharing a flat in Basel

Flat sharing in other Erasmus cities

Flatshare in Geneva

Flatshare in Lausanne

Flatshare in Zürich