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: $3,658 in Basel versus $3,315 in Crans-Montana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,824 in Basel versus $4,993 in Crans-Montana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,989 in Basel versus $6,670 in Crans-Montana.

Living in Basel is roughly 10% more expensive than in Crans-Montana, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 174% above, Crans-Montana 148% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.22 CHF 24.61

$30.35 CHF 24.71

-0.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$157 CHF 128

$98.6 CHF 80.3

59.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.82 CHF 16.14

$17.26 CHF 14.05

14.83%

Cappuccino

$7.03 CHF 5.73

$4.42 CHF 3.60

59.05%

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

$5.60 CHF 4.56

$4.91 CHF 3.99

14.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 CHF 4.16

$4.22 CHF 3.44

21.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.92 CHF 8.08

$7.13 CHF 5.80

39.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 CHF 6.21

$6.00 CHF 4.88

27.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.82

$1.52 CHF 1.24

46.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 3.03

$3.45 CHF 2.81

8.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 CHF 4.18

$1.62 CHF 1.32

216.67%

Eggs

$7.88 CHF 6.41

$5.94 CHF 4.83

32.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.25 CHF 23.81

$26.59 CHF 21.65

10.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.16 CHF 29.44

$36.29 CHF 29.54

-0.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.71 CHF 35.59

$47.46 CHF 38.64

-7.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 CHF 3.15

$3.20 CHF 2.61

20.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 CHF 2.20

$2.03 CHF 1.65

33.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CHF 3.42

$2.57 CHF 2.09

63.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.92 CHF 5.64

$7.65 CHF 6.23

-9.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 CHF 2.64

$2.22 CHF 1.81

45.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 CHF 2.32

$2.33 CHF 1.90

22.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CHF 2.12

$2.63 CHF 2.14

-0.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.26

$1.30 CHF 1.06

19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.90 CHF 9.69

$10.06 CHF 8.19

18.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.44 CHF 10.94

$12.66 CHF 10.31

6.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 CHF 1.92

$2.60 CHF 2.11

-9.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CHF 2.54

$4.20 CHF 3.42

-25.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.65 CHF 3.78

$3.87 CHF 3.15

20.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 CHF 87.2

$97.6 CHF 79.4

9.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.15 CHF 6.64

$6.79 CHF 5.53

20.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.16 CHF 3.38

$3.11 CHF 2.53

33.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.0 CHF 70.8

$56.1 CHF 45.65

55.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.80

$2.24 CHF 1.82

-1.34%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.4K

$40.1K CHF 32.7K

-0.87%

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

$44.5K CHF 36.2K

$37.9K CHF 30.8K

17.40%

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

$302 CHF 246

$206 CHF 167

47.08%

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

$53.7 CHF 43.72

$73.1 CHF 59.5

-26.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 CHF 48.14

$54.9 CHF 44.67

7.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.8 CHF 72.3

$112 CHF 90.9

-20.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.93 CHF 34.14

Cinema Ticket

$23.07 CHF 18.79

$18.73 CHF 15.25

23.17%

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

$2,621 CHF 2,134

$1,237 CHF 1,007

111.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 28.2K

$34.8K CHF 28.4K

-0.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$124 CHF 101

9.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.8 CHF 70.7

$36.68 CHF 29.86

136.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$179 CHF 146

$134 CHF 109

33.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 CHF 190

$152 CHF 124

53.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 CHF 1,685

$1,716 CHF 1,397

20.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 CHF 1,201

$1,446 CHF 1,177

1.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,823 CHF 3,113

$2,817 CHF 2,293

35.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,868 CHF 2,335

$2,469 CHF 2,011

16.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K CHF 14.7K

$16.4K CHF 13.4K

10.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.9K

$11.8K CHF 9,620

23.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,233 CHF 5,889

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Crans-Montana: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,070 in Basel and $1,716 in Crans-Montana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $157 in Basel vs $99.0 in Crans-Montana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $688 vs $644 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 10% 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 $5,487 in Basel and $4,973 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: $2,070 in Basel versus $1,716 in Crans-Montana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,621 in Basel versus $1,237 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 $3,315 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 10% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.