Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Acquarossa Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Acquarossa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,706 in Basel versus $3,543 in Acquarossa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,904 in Basel versus $5,393 in Acquarossa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,102 in Basel versus $7,242 in Acquarossa.

Living in Basel is roughly 5% more expensive than Acquarossa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 176% above, Acquarossa 164% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.07 CHF 24.67

$30.86 CHF 24.50

0.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$155 CHF 123

$146 CHF 116

6.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.81 CHF 15.72

$21.05 CHF 16.71

-5.89%

Cappuccino

$6.98 CHF 5.54

$6.88 CHF 5.46

1.45%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 CHF 4.52

$6.09 CHF 4.83

-6.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CHF 3.97

$5.30 CHF 4.21

-5.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 CHF 7.78

$9.67 CHF 7.67

1.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 CHF 6.07

$8.65 CHF 6.87

-11.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.76

$2.25 CHF 1.79

-1.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 CHF 3.05

$3.36 CHF 2.67

14.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.00 CHF 3.97

$3.98 CHF 3.16

25.63%

Eggs

$8.00 CHF 6.35

$7.46 CHF 5.92

7.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.50 CHF 22.62

$29.90 CHF 23.74

-4.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.38 CHF 28.88

$34.22 CHF 27.17

6.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.61 CHF 35.42

$50.8 CHF 40.30

-12.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CHF 3.14

$4.04 CHF 3.21

-2.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 CHF 2.14

$2.86 CHF 2.27

-5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.37

$3.08 CHF 2.45

37.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.84 CHF 5.43

$5.04 CHF 4.00

35.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.50

$2.84 CHF 2.26

10.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CHF 2.27

$2.36 CHF 1.87

21.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CHF 2.09

$2.46 CHF 1.96

6.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CHF 1.19

$1.73 CHF 1.38

-13.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.55 CHF 9.17

$10.95 CHF 8.69

5.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.89 CHF 11.03

$15.21 CHF 12.08

-8.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 CHF 1.88

$2.74 CHF 2.18

-13.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CHF 2.43

$3.18 CHF 2.53

-3.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 CHF 3.71

$3.95 CHF 3.14

18.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 85.7

$98.7 CHF 78.4

9.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.06 CHF 6.40

$7.65 CHF 6.07

5.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.40

$4.26 CHF 3.38

0.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 69.2

$89.4 CHF 70.9

-2.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.76

$2.30 CHF 1.82

-3.48%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.9K CHF 31.7K

$41.2K CHF 32.7K

-2.94%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$44.8K CHF 35.5K

$39.2K CHF 31.1K

14.27%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$308 CHF 245

$255 CHF 203

20.69%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$55.1 CHF 43.74

$36.05 CHF 28.62

52.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 CHF 47.51

$57.6 CHF 45.74

3.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.5 CHF 71.8

$88.0 CHF 69.9

2.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.81 CHF 33.19

Cinema Ticket

$23.10 CHF 18.34

$25.10 CHF 19.92

-7.97%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,555 CHF 2,029

$3,439 CHF 2,730

-25.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.2K CHF 27.2K

$39.6K CHF 31.4K

-13.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 106

$137 CHF 109

-2.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.4 CHF 68.6

$53.7 CHF 42.59

61.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$175 CHF 139

$150 CHF 119

16.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$234 CHF 186

$198 CHF 157

18.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 CHF 1,672

$1,704 CHF 1,353

23.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CHF 1,178

$1,487 CHF 1,181

-0.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,757 CHF 2,982

$2,853 CHF 2,265

31.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,891 CHF 2,295

$2,422 CHF 1,922

19.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.7K CHF 14.8K

$13.8K CHF 11.0K

34.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.0K CHF 11.1K

$10.2K CHF 8,095

37.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,072 CHF 6,408

$12.3K CHF 9,754

-34.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

2.09

22.01%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Basel: June 8, 2026

Last update for Acquarossa: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,106 in Basel and $1,704 in Acquarossa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acquarossa pays 52% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $155 in Basel vs $146 in Acquarossa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $691 vs $684 per month, with Acquarossa cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Basel vs Acquarossa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Acquarossa wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Acquarossa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Acquarossa earns 52% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,106 in Basel versus $1,704 in Acquarossa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Acquarossa – a meal for two runs $146 versus $155 in Basel. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Acquarossa is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Acquarossa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,543 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Acquarossa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Acquarossa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Acquarossa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.