Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Crans-Montana Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Crans-Montana

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,653 in Basel versus $3,411 in Crans-Montana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,857 in Basel versus $5,140 in Crans-Montana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,062 in Basel versus $6,869 in Crans-Montana.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 173% above, Crans-Montana 155% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.72 CHF 24.47

$31.03 CHF 24.71

-1.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$156 CHF 124

$97.3 CHF 77.5

60.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.37 CHF 15.43

$17.48 CHF 13.93

10.81%

Cappuccino

$6.75 CHF 5.37

$4.23 CHF 3.37

59.57%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.52

$4.74 CHF 3.78

19.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 4.00

$4.23 CHF 3.37

18.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 8.04

$7.22 CHF 5.75

39.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.93

$6.27 CHF 5.00

18.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.79

$1.51 CHF 1.20

48.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.97

$3.54 CHF 2.82

5.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.98

$1.58 CHF 1.25

215.82%

Eggs

$8.16 CHF 6.50

$5.90 CHF 4.70

38.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 22.83

$26.71 CHF 21.27

7.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.93 CHF 28.62

$36.44 CHF 29.02

-1.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.12 CHF 34.35

$47.10 CHF 37.51

-8.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.17

$3.08 CHF 2.45

29.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.07

$2.03 CHF 1.61

28.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.38

$2.53 CHF 2.02

67.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.54

$7.46 CHF 5.94

-6.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.57

$2.25 CHF 1.79

43.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.34

$2.32 CHF 1.85

26.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 2.00

$2.65 CHF 2.11

-5.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.23

$1.25 CHF 1.00

24.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 CHF 9.30

$9.93 CHF 7.91

17.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 11.00

$12.88 CHF 10.26

7.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.90

$2.56 CHF 2.04

-6.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.52

$4.02 CHF 3.20

-21.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.65

$3.88 CHF 3.09

18.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 83.3

$96.7 CHF 77.0

8.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.36

$6.96 CHF 5.54

14.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.43

$3.10 CHF 2.47

39.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 69.5

$55.1 CHF 43.91

58.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.77

$2.20 CHF 1.75

1.36%

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

$40.4K CHF 32.2K

$39.6K CHF 31.5K

2.03%

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

$44.3K CHF 35.3K

$37.6K CHF 29.9K

17.93%

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

$306 CHF 244

$202 CHF 161

51.87%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.63

$73.0 CHF 58.1

-26.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 46.87

$55.0 CHF 43.81

7.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 CHF 71.9

$110 CHF 87.4

-17.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.85

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 18.10

$18.59 CHF 14.81

22.22%

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

$2,574 CHF 2,050

$1,254 CHF 999

105.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 27.1K

$34.7K CHF 27.7K

-2.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 106

$123 CHF 97.8

8.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.3 CHF 70.3

$37.22 CHF 29.64

137.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 CHF 144

$135 CHF 108

33.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 181

$148 CHF 118

53.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CHF 1,682

$1,684 CHF 1,341

25.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 CHF 1,210

$1,482 CHF 1,181

2.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 CHF 3,049

$2,797 CHF 2,227

36.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,232

$2,437 CHF 1,941

14.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.2K

$12.1K CHF 9,626

57.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.3K

$9,630 CHF 7,671

47.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,605

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

2.5

2.00%

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

Last update for Basel: May 31, 2026

Last update for Crans-Montana: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Basel and $1,684 in Crans-Montana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $156 in Basel vs $97.0 in Crans-Montana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $643 per month, with Crans-Montana 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 Crans-Montana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Crans-Montana wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Crans-Montana the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,479 in Basel and $5,116 in Crans-Montana to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Basel versus $1,684 in Crans-Montana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Basel versus $1,254 in Crans-Montana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% 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. Crans-Montana 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 Crans-Montana delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,411 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Crans-Montana hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Crans-Montana 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 Crans-Montana 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.