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: $3,682 in Basel versus $3,306 in Crans-Montana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,815 in Basel versus $5,066 in Crans-Montana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,949 in Basel versus $6,826 in Crans-Montana.

Living in Basel is roughly 11% more expensive than Crans-Montana, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 175% above, Crans-Montana 147% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.08 CHF 24.37

$30.35 CHF 23.79

2.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 121

$100 CHF 78.7

53.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.09 CHF 15.75

$17.59 CHF 13.79

14.21%

Cappuccino

$6.99 CHF 5.48

$4.28 CHF 3.35

63.32%

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

$5.70 CHF 4.47

$4.92 CHF 3.85

15.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 CHF 3.95

$4.17 CHF 3.27

20.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.72 CHF 7.62

$6.89 CHF 5.40

41.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.54 CHF 5.91

$6.28 CHF 4.93

20.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.70

$1.51 CHF 1.18

43.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.70 CHF 2.90

$3.55 CHF 2.78

4.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.95 CHF 3.88

$1.62 CHF 1.27

205.56%

Eggs

$7.99 CHF 6.26

$5.94 CHF 4.66

34.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.33 CHF 22.21

$27.28 CHF 21.39

3.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.87 CHF 28.91

$37.45 CHF 29.36

-1.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.59 CHF 34.96

$48.37 CHF 37.92

-7.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 CHF 3.00

$3.13 CHF 2.45

22.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 CHF 2.16

$2.04 CHF 1.60

35.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 CHF 3.14

$2.51 CHF 1.97

59.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.13 CHF 5.59

$7.63 CHF 5.98

-6.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 CHF 2.55

$2.21 CHF 1.73

47.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 CHF 2.22

$2.31 CHF 1.81

22.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 CHF 2.08

$2.55 CHF 2.00

3.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$1.29 CHF 1.01

20.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.59 CHF 9.08

$9.82 CHF 7.70

18.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 CHF 11.99

$13.04 CHF 10.22

17.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 CHF 1.93

$2.66 CHF 2.09

-7.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 CHF 2.36

$4.08 CHF 3.20

-26.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.81 CHF 3.77

$3.87 CHF 3.03

24.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.2

$97.0 CHF 76.1

8.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.91 CHF 6.20

$6.77 CHF 5.31

16.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.33 CHF 3.40

$3.03 CHF 2.38

42.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.4 CHF 67.7

$54.9 CHF 43.03

57.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.69

$2.21 CHF 1.73

-2.71%

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

$41.0K CHF 32.1K

$41.2K CHF 32.3K

-0.61%

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

$45.7K CHF 35.8K

$37.0K CHF 29.0K

23.41%

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

$299 CHF 234

$203 CHF 159

47.49%

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

$54.1 CHF 42.40

$74.1 CHF 58.1

-27.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 CHF 46.69

$53.7 CHF 42.06

11.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.5 CHF 70.9

$110 CHF 86.2

-17.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.79 CHF 32.77

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 CHF 17.57

$18.21 CHF 14.28

23.06%

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

$2,607 CHF 2,044

$1,251 CHF 981

108.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.0K CHF 27.4K

$34.4K CHF 27.0K

1.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 106

$122 CHF 96.0

10.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.4 CHF 69.3

$37.47 CHF 29.38

135.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$177 CHF 139

$132 CHF 103

34.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$228 CHF 178

$150 CHF 118

51.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,067 CHF 1,621

$1,671 CHF 1,310

23.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,477 CHF 1,158

$1,444 CHF 1,132

2.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,728 CHF 2,923

$2,876 CHF 2,254

29.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,817 CHF 2,209

$2,485 CHF 1,948

13.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K CHF 14.2K

$14.0K CHF 11.0K

29.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.4K CHF 10.5K

$10.7K CHF 8,377

25.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,835 CHF 6,143

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Crans-Montana: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,067 in Basel and $1,671 in Crans-Montana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $154 in Basel vs $100 in Crans-Montana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $694 vs $656 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 11% 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 $5,523 in Basel and $4,959 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: $2,067 in Basel versus $1,671 in Crans-Montana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,607 in Basel versus $1,251 in Crans-Montana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% 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 $3,306 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 11% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.