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: $3,606 in Basel versus $3,409 in Bern.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,819 in Basel versus $5,182 in Bern.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,033 in Basel versus $6,955 in Bern.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 170% above, Bern 155% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.16 CHF 25.24

$28.49 CHF 23.08

9.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 125

$108 CHF 87.4

42.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.41 CHF 15.72

$17.15 CHF 13.89

13.18%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.45

$5.75 CHF 4.65

17.04%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.43

$4.76 CHF 3.85

14.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 CHF 4.22

$4.78 CHF 3.87

9.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 CHF 7.82

$8.18 CHF 6.62

17.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 CHF 5.92

$6.21 CHF 5.03

17.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.79

$2.22 CHF 1.80

-0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 CHF 3.14

$3.33 CHF 2.69

16.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.19 CHF 4.20

$4.26 CHF 3.45

21.83%

Eggs

$7.82 CHF 6.34

$7.09 CHF 5.74

10.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.51 CHF 23.09

$28.67 CHF 23.22

-0.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.76 CHF 29.78

$35.86 CHF 29.04

2.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.22 CHF 35.82

$41.00 CHF 33.21

7.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CHF 3.16

$3.38 CHF 2.73

15.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.22

$2.24 CHF 1.81

22.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CHF 3.38

$2.76 CHF 2.23

51.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.66

$6.87 CHF 5.56

1.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.64

$2.17 CHF 1.76

50.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.41

$2.13 CHF 1.73

39.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.04

$2.43 CHF 1.97

3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$1.15 CHF 0.93

29.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 CHF 9.58

$11.52 CHF 9.33

2.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 CHF 11.08

$12.19 CHF 9.88

12.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.96

$1.96 CHF 1.59

23.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.46

$2.28 CHF 1.85

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 CHF 3.86

$3.74 CHF 3.03

27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 85.1

$98.5 CHF 79.8

6.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 CHF 6.42

$8.04 CHF 6.51

-1.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.36 CHF 3.53

$4.44 CHF 3.60

-1.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 70.8

$91.5 CHF 74.1

-4.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$2.22 CHF 1.79

-0.90%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

$41.1K CHF 33.3K

-0.75%

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

$45.1K CHF 36.6K

$58.3K CHF 47.2K

-22.58%

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

$302 CHF 245

$367 CHF 297

-17.66%

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

$54.0 CHF 43.74

$58.3 CHF 47.24

-7.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 47.69

$58.1 CHF 47.04

1.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.9 CHF 73.6

$81.1 CHF 65.7

12.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.38 CHF 33.52

$46.39 CHF 37.58

-10.80%

Cinema Ticket

$23.17 CHF 18.77

$24.71 CHF 20.02

-6.23%

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

$2,533 CHF 2,052

$3,315 CHF 2,685

-23.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

$40.1K CHF 32.5K

-15.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$154 CHF 125

-12.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.6 CHF 71.0

$69.1 CHF 56.0

26.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 CHF 146

$174 CHF 141

3.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$230 CHF 186

$189 CHF 153

21.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 CHF 1,704

$1,871 CHF 1,516

12.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 CHF 1,224

$1,284 CHF 1,040

17.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,742 CHF 3,031

$3,197 CHF 2,589

17.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 CHF 2,292

$2,412 CHF 1,954

17.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

$19.2K CHF 15.5K

-2.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

$15.4K CHF 12.4K

-5.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,175 CHF 5,812

$7,080 CHF 5,735

1.34%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bern: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,103 in Basel and $1,871 in Bern. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 1% 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: $154 in Basel vs $108 in Bern for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $692 vs $638 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.

Average pay runs 1% 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: $2,103 in Basel versus $1,871 in Bern. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,533 in Basel versus $3,315 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 $3,409 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.