Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Bern Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Bern

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,653 in Basel versus $3,430 in Bern.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,857 in Basel versus $5,248 in Bern.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,062 in Basel versus $7,066 in Bern.

Living in Basel is roughly 6% more expensive than Bern, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 173% above, Bern 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.72 CHF 24.24

$27.70 CHF 21.86

10.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$156 CHF 123

$107 CHF 84.6

45.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.37 CHF 15.28

$17.47 CHF 13.79

10.88%

Cappuccino

$6.75 CHF 5.33

$5.86 CHF 4.63

15.19%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.47

$4.83 CHF 3.81

17.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 3.96

$4.64 CHF 3.66

8.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.96

$8.38 CHF 6.62

20.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.88

$6.26 CHF 4.94

19.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$2.22 CHF 1.75

0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.95

$3.27 CHF 2.58

14.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.94

$4.15 CHF 3.27

20.24%

Eggs

$8.16 CHF 6.44

$7.10 CHF 5.60

14.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 22.62

$27.95 CHF 22.06

2.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.93 CHF 28.36

$35.50 CHF 28.01

1.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.12 CHF 34.03

$41.05 CHF 32.39

5.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.14

$3.55 CHF 2.80

12.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.05

$2.20 CHF 1.74

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.35

$2.74 CHF 2.16

54.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.49

$6.99 CHF 5.51

-0.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$2.24 CHF 1.77

44.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$2.15 CHF 1.70

36.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$2.42 CHF 1.91

3.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$1.14 CHF 0.90

35.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 CHF 9.22

$11.39 CHF 8.99

2.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 10.90

$12.80 CHF 10.10

7.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.89

$1.96 CHF 1.55

21.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.49

$2.35 CHF 1.86

34.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.61

$3.59 CHF 2.83

27.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.5

$99.0 CHF 78.1

5.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.31

$7.86 CHF 6.20

1.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.40

$4.47 CHF 3.52

-3.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.8

$90.9 CHF 71.7

-4.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.76

$2.14 CHF 1.69

4.21%

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

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

$40.6K CHF 32.0K

-0.41%

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

$44.3K CHF 35.0K

$56.6K CHF 44.7K

-21.74%

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

$306 CHF 242

$367 CHF 290

-16.55%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.24

$59.9 CHF 47.27

-10.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 46.44

$59.0 CHF 46.55

-0.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 CHF 71.2

$82.5 CHF 65.1

9.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.54

$47.41 CHF 37.42

-10.36%

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 17.93

$24.55 CHF 19.38

-7.45%

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

$2,574 CHF 2,031

$3,417 CHF 2,697

-24.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

$39.8K CHF 31.4K

-14.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 105

$149 CHF 118

-10.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.3 CHF 69.7

$67.9 CHF 53.6

30.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 CHF 143

$177 CHF 140

2.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 179

$186 CHF 147

21.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CHF 1,666

$1,853 CHF 1,463

13.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 CHF 1,199

$1,264 CHF 997

20.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 CHF 3,021

$3,301 CHF 2,606

15.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,211

$2,367 CHF 1,868

18.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.1K

$16.3K CHF 12.8K

17.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

$12.8K CHF 10.1K

10.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,544

$7,193 CHF 5,676

15.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

2.52

1.19%

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

Last update for Basel: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bern: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Basel and $1,853 in Bern. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 15% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $156 in Basel vs $107 in Bern for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $636 per month, with Bern 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 Bern: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bern wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bern the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Basel pays 15% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Basel versus $1,853 in Bern. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Basel versus $3,417 in Bern. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Bern 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 Bern delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,430 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bern hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Bern 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 Bern gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.