Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Chur Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Chur

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,610 in Basel versus $3,301 in Chur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,659 in Basel versus $5,228 in Chur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,707 in Basel versus $7,154 in Chur.

Living in Basel is roughly 9% more expensive than in Chur, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 164% above, Chur 141% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 CHF 25.48

$29.92 CHF 24.69

3.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 104

$112 CHF 92.2

12.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.50 CHF 15.27

$16.71 CHF 13.79

10.71%

Cappuccino

$6.72 CHF 5.54

$5.93 CHF 4.90

13.32%

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

$6.38 CHF 5.27

$5.61 CHF 4.63

13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 CHF 4.79

$5.02 CHF 4.14

15.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.93

$8.64 CHF 7.13

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.74 CHF 8.04

$8.55 CHF 7.06

13.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.86

$2.15 CHF 1.77

4.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 CHF 2.49

$3.43 CHF 2.83

-11.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 CHF 2.76

$4.40 CHF 3.64

-24.09%

Eggs

$8.26 CHF 6.82

$7.88 CHF 6.51

4.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.04 CHF 21.50

$26.67 CHF 22.01

-2.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.62 CHF 22.80

$26.03 CHF 21.48

6.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.64 CHF 34.37

$40.46 CHF 33.40

2.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.93

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.87

$2.16 CHF 1.78

5.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.43

$2.63 CHF 2.17

12.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 CHF 3.82

$4.87 CHF 4.02

-4.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 CHF 1.46

$1.91 CHF 1.58

-7.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.65

$2.24 CHF 1.85

-10.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 CHF 1.81

$2.35 CHF 1.94

-6.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CHF 1.31

$1.45 CHF 1.19

9.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.43 CHF 9.43

$10.89 CHF 8.99

4.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 CHF 10.00

$12.96 CHF 10.70

-6.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CHF 2.08

$2.18 CHF 1.80

15.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CHF 2.50

$2.79 CHF 2.31

8.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 CHF 3.77

$5.26 CHF 4.34

-13.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 87.6

$189 CHF 156

-43.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 CHF 6.52

$7.51 CHF 6.20

5.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.58 CHF 3.78

$4.79 CHF 3.96

-4.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.3 CHF 71.3

$87.0 CHF 71.8

-0.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.87

$2.14 CHF 1.77

5.61%

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

$43.2K CHF 35.6K

$41.3K CHF 34.1K

4.49%

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

$40.5K CHF 33.4K

$37.7K CHF 31.2K

7.34%

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

$295 CHF 244

$235 CHF 194

25.42%

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

$53.7 CHF 44.36

$32.12 CHF 26.51

67.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 CHF 53.0

$55.8 CHF 46.04

15.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.3 CHF 69.5

$81.7 CHF 67.4

3.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.7 CHF 47.61

$33.93 CHF 28.00

70.00%

Cinema Ticket

$23.28 CHF 19.21

$21.72 CHF 17.93

7.18%

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

$3,047 CHF 2,515

$2,406 CHF 1,986

26.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.5K

$44.4K CHF 36.6K

-25.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 120

$92.2 CHF 76.1

57.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.2 CHF 66.2

$48.64 CHF 40.15

64.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 CHF 133

$120 CHF 99.4

34.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 164

$171 CHF 141

16.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 CHF 1,728

$1,732 CHF 1,430

20.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 CHF 1,269

$1,389 CHF 1,146

10.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,533 CHF 2,917

$3,019 CHF 2,492

17.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 CHF 2,328

$2,606 CHF 2,151

8.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 15.1K

$7,467 CHF 6,164

144.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.7K CHF 12.1K

$5,587 CHF 4,612

163.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,077 CHF 5,841

$8,407 CHF 6,939

-15.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

1.72

41.28%

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

Last update for Basel: September 14, 2026

Last update for Chur: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,093 in Basel and $1,732 in Chur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chur pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $126 in Basel vs $112 in Chur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $587 vs $581 per month, with Chur 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 Chur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chur wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chur the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Chur. 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: $2,093 in Basel versus $1,732 in Chur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,047 in Basel versus $2,406 in Chur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Chur 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 Chur delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,301 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chur hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Chur 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 Chur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.