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: $3,725 in Basel versus $3,478 in Acquarossa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,789 in Basel versus $5,369 in Acquarossa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,853 in Basel versus $7,261 in Acquarossa.

Living in Basel is roughly 7% more expensive than in Acquarossa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 180% above, Acquarossa 161% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.01 CHF 25.23

$30.93 CHF 25.16

0.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 125

$150 CHF 122

2.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.45 CHF 15.82

$21.20 CHF 17.25

-8.25%

Cappuccino

$6.66 CHF 5.42

$6.80 CHF 5.53

-2.06%

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

$5.74 CHF 4.67

$6.08 CHF 4.95

-5.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CHF 4.07

$5.22 CHF 4.25

-4.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.58 CHF 7.79

$9.60 CHF 7.81

-0.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.70 CHF 6.26

$8.61 CHF 7.00

-10.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.81

$2.18 CHF 1.78

1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 CHF 3.04

$3.36 CHF 2.73

11.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.00 CHF 4.07

$3.91 CHF 3.18

27.88%

Eggs

$7.91 CHF 6.44

$7.31 CHF 5.95

8.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.24 CHF 23.79

$29.99 CHF 24.39

-2.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.30 CHF 30.34

$34.15 CHF 27.78

9.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.14 CHF 35.09

$49.38 CHF 40.17

-12.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 CHF 3.13

$4.24 CHF 3.45

-9.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.12

$2.84 CHF 2.31

-8.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 CHF 3.29

$3.10 CHF 2.52

30.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.86 CHF 5.58

$5.06 CHF 4.12

35.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 CHF 2.62

$2.86 CHF 2.33

12.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CHF 2.31

$2.37 CHF 1.93

19.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CHF 2.14

$2.56 CHF 2.08

2.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$1.64 CHF 1.33

-9.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 CHF 9.40

$11.10 CHF 9.03

4.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.33 CHF 10.85

$13.29 CHF 10.81

0.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CHF 1.90

$2.69 CHF 2.19

-13.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.47

$3.34 CHF 2.72

-8.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 CHF 3.71

$4.01 CHF 3.26

13.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 87.5

$98.1 CHF 79.8

9.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.05 CHF 6.55

$7.55 CHF 6.14

6.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.19 CHF 3.41

$4.17 CHF 3.39

0.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.8 CHF 69.8

$86.3 CHF 70.2

-0.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.78

$2.26 CHF 1.84

-3.10%

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

$40.7K CHF 33.1K

$40.4K CHF 32.8K

0.78%

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

$44.9K CHF 36.5K

$39.4K CHF 32.1K

13.97%

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

$303 CHF 246

$257 CHF 209

17.69%

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

$53.2 CHF 43.24

$35.45 CHF 28.83

49.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 CHF 47.61

$59.4 CHF 48.29

-1.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.7 CHF 73.8

$89.1 CHF 72.5

1.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.34 CHF 34.44

$39.75 CHF 32.34

6.52%

Cinema Ticket

$22.39 CHF 18.21

$24.62 CHF 20.03

-9.06%

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

$2,538 CHF 2,065

$3,412 CHF 2,775

-25.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K CHF 28.0K

$38.5K CHF 31.3K

-10.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$141 CHF 115

-4.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.2 CHF 72.5

$53.0 CHF 43.13

68.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$175 CHF 142

$148 CHF 120

18.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 184

$200 CHF 163

13.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 CHF 1,712

$1,731 CHF 1,408

21.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 CHF 1,218

$1,475 CHF 1,200

1.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,749 CHF 3,049

$2,872 CHF 2,336

30.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,888 CHF 2,349

$2,490 CHF 2,025

16.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K CHF 14.9K

$15.1K CHF 12.3K

21.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.3K CHF 11.6K

$13.3K CHF 10.8K

7.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,099 CHF 5,775

$12.3K CHF 10.0K

-42.31%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Acquarossa: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,105 in Basel and $1,731 in Acquarossa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acquarossa pays 73% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $154 in Basel vs $150 in Acquarossa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $689 vs $675 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 7% 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, salaries run 73% lower in Acquarossa. 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: $2,105 in Basel versus $1,731 in Acquarossa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% 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 $150 versus $154 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 $3,478 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 7% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.