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: $3,741 in Basel versus $3,575 in Acquarossa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,905 in Basel versus $5,437 in Acquarossa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,069 in Basel versus $7,300 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 179% above, Acquarossa 167% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.45 CHF 24.09

$30.34 CHF 24.00

0.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$152 CHF 121

$148 CHF 117

3.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.99 CHF 15.81

$21.16 CHF 16.74

-5.53%

Cappuccino

$6.65 CHF 5.26

$6.84 CHF 5.41

-2.78%

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

$5.68 CHF 4.50

$5.80 CHF 4.59

-2.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CHF 4.14

$5.41 CHF 4.28

-3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.58 CHF 7.57

$9.97 CHF 7.88

-3.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 CHF 6.04

$8.56 CHF 6.77

-10.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.75

$2.15 CHF 1.70

2.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 CHF 3.03

$3.40 CHF 2.69

12.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 CHF 4.10

$4.10 CHF 3.25

26.34%

Eggs

$8.09 CHF 6.40

$7.52 CHF 5.95

7.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.36 CHF 22.43

$29.13 CHF 23.04

-2.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.13 CHF 29.37

$34.09 CHF 26.97

8.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.06 CHF 34.85

$49.21 CHF 38.92

-10.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 CHF 3.02

$4.04 CHF 3.20

-5.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 CHF 2.11

$2.82 CHF 2.23

-5.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.29

$3.13 CHF 2.48

32.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.53

$5.14 CHF 4.07

35.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 CHF 2.57

$2.78 CHF 2.20

16.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.34

$2.29 CHF 1.81

29.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CHF 2.00

$2.46 CHF 1.94

2.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CHF 1.24

$1.65 CHF 1.31

-4.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.73 CHF 9.28

$11.28 CHF 8.92

3.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 CHF 11.94

$15.35 CHF 12.14

-1.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$2.76 CHF 2.18

-14.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CHF 2.41

$3.29 CHF 2.60

-7.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 CHF 3.60

$4.00 CHF 3.16

13.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.9

$99.6 CHF 78.8

5.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 CHF 6.29

$7.58 CHF 6.00

5.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.38

$4.13 CHF 3.27

3.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.8 CHF 67.8

$88.9 CHF 70.3

-3.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.78

$2.27 CHF 1.79

-1.32%

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

$39.6K CHF 31.3K

$40.3K CHF 31.9K

-1.62%

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

$44.8K CHF 35.4K

$39.2K CHF 31.0K

14.22%

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

$309 CHF 244

$253 CHF 200

22.04%

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

$53.1 CHF 42.03

$35.10 CHF 27.76

51.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 CHF 47.79

$59.3 CHF 46.92

1.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.0 CHF 72.0

$87.7 CHF 69.4

3.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.48 CHF 33.60

Cinema Ticket

$23.06 CHF 18.24

$24.61 CHF 19.47

-6.30%

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

$2,609 CHF 2,064

$3,459 CHF 2,736

-24.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K CHF 27.5K

$38.6K CHF 30.6K

-10.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 105

$139 CHF 110

-4.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.1 CHF 68.9

$53.4 CHF 42.20

63.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 138

$148 CHF 117

17.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$231 CHF 182

$198 CHF 156

16.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 CHF 1,682

$1,670 CHF 1,321

27.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 CHF 1,157

$1,462 CHF 1,157

0.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,757 CHF 2,971

$2,887 CHF 2,284

30.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,789 CHF 2,206

$2,492 CHF 1,971

11.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.9K CHF 14.2K

$13.6K CHF 10.8K

31.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.3K CHF 10.5K

$10.8K CHF 8,538

23.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,988 CHF 6,318

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Acquarossa: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,126 in Basel and $1,670 in Acquarossa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $152 in Basel vs $148 in Acquarossa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $696 vs $677 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.

You'd need roughly $5,612 in Basel and $5,362 in Acquarossa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,126 in Basel versus $1,670 in Acquarossa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% 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 $148 versus $152 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 $3,575 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.