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: $3,566 in Basel versus $3,477 in Bern.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,581 in Basel versus $5,394 in Bern.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,595 in Basel versus $7,311 in Bern.

Living in Basel is roughly 3% more expensive than in Bern, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 160% above, Bern 153% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.61 CHF 23.95

$28.98 CHF 23.44

2.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 CHF 103

$126 CHF 102

1.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.47 CHF 14.94

$16.17 CHF 13.08

14.22%

Cappuccino

$6.76 CHF 5.47

$7.01 CHF 5.67

-3.57%

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

$6.33 CHF 5.12

$6.23 CHF 5.04

1.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 CHF 4.98

$7.04 CHF 5.69

-12.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.91 CHF 7.21

$9.48 CHF 7.67

-6.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.93 CHF 8.03

$8.19 CHF 6.62

21.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 CHF 1.90

$2.25 CHF 1.82

4.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 CHF 2.60

$2.97 CHF 2.40

8.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 CHF 2.72

$3.25 CHF 2.63

3.38%

Eggs

$8.03 CHF 6.50

$8.08 CHF 6.54

-0.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.94 CHF 21.79

$24.49 CHF 19.81

10.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.83 CHF 22.51

$29.84 CHF 24.14

-6.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.82 CHF 33.83

$40.30 CHF 32.60

3.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 CHF 2.91

$3.95 CHF 3.20

-8.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 CHF 1.90

$2.04 CHF 1.65

15.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 CHF 2.53

$2.78 CHF 2.25

12.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 CHF 3.91

$4.81 CHF 3.89

0.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 CHF 1.40

$1.72 CHF 1.39

0.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.67

$2.10 CHF 1.70

-1.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.88

$2.28 CHF 1.84

2.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 CHF 1.32

$1.34 CHF 1.08

21.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.39 CHF 9.21

$11.63 CHF 9.41

-2.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.41 CHF 10.04

$12.52 CHF 10.13

-0.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 CHF 2.12

$2.33 CHF 1.88

12.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 CHF 2.60

$3.08 CHF 2.49

4.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.60 CHF 3.72

$6.37 CHF 5.15

-27.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 87.7

$101 CHF 81.7

7.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.16 CHF 6.60

$8.32 CHF 6.73

-1.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.67 CHF 3.78

$4.71 CHF 3.81

-0.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.9 CHF 69.5

$110 CHF 88.7

-21.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.84

$2.27 CHF 1.83

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

$43.8K CHF 35.5K

$43.9K CHF 35.5K

-0.12%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.2K

$39.4K CHF 31.9K

0.99%

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

$304 CHF 246

$279 CHF 225

9.08%

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

$54.2 CHF 43.83

$28.97 CHF 23.43

87.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 CHF 52.3

$55.3 CHF 44.75

16.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.3 CHF 67.4

$92.1 CHF 74.5

-9.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.5 CHF 47.33

$47.53 CHF 38.45

23.08%

Cinema Ticket

$23.78 CHF 19.24

$25.08 CHF 20.29

-5.18%

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

$3,055 CHF 2,472

$3,158 CHF 2,555

-3.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K CHF 26.4K

$31.9K CHF 25.8K

2.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 119

0.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.7 CHF 66.1

$63.5 CHF 51.4

28.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 CHF 135

$159 CHF 129

4.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 CHF 167

$198 CHF 160

3.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 CHF 1,695

$1,890 CHF 1,529

10.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 CHF 1,237

$1,433 CHF 1,160

6.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,547 CHF 2,870

$3,564 CHF 2,884

-0.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,865 CHF 2,318

$2,539 CHF 2,054

12.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 14.8K

$19.2K CHF 15.5K

-4.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.8K CHF 12.0K

$15.4K CHF 12.4K

-3.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,405 CHF 5,990

$6,921 CHF 5,599

6.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

2.46

-1.22%

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

Last update for Basel: August 30, 2026

Last update for Bern: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,095 in Basel and $1,890 in Bern. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 7% 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: $128 in Basel vs $126 in Bern for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $598 vs $586 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 3% 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.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Basel, 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: $2,095 in Basel versus $1,890 in Bern. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,055 in Basel versus $3,158 in Bern. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% 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 $3,477 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 3% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.