Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Interlaken Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Interlaken

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,653 in Basel versus $3,517 in Interlaken.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,857 in Basel versus $5,363 in Interlaken.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,062 in Basel versus $7,209 in Interlaken.

Living in Basel is roughly 4% more expensive than Interlaken, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 173% above, Interlaken 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.72 CHF 24.22

$30.63 CHF 24.15

0.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$156 CHF 123

$143 CHF 113

8.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.37 CHF 15.27

$18.72 CHF 14.76

3.47%

Cappuccino

$6.75 CHF 5.32

$6.12 CHF 4.82

10.29%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.47

$5.16 CHF 4.07

9.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 3.96

$4.91 CHF 3.87

2.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.95

$8.40 CHF 6.62

20.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.87

$7.43 CHF 5.86

0.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$2.23 CHF 1.75

0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.94

$3.45 CHF 2.72

8.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.94

$4.14 CHF 3.26

20.53%

Eggs

$8.16 CHF 6.44

$7.42 CHF 5.85

9.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 22.60

$29.41 CHF 23.19

-2.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.93 CHF 28.33

$33.59 CHF 26.48

6.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.12 CHF 34.00

$48.19 CHF 38.00

-10.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.14

$3.63 CHF 2.86

9.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.05

$2.33 CHF 1.83

11.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.35

$2.90 CHF 2.28

46.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.49

$6.17 CHF 4.86

12.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$2.46 CHF 1.94

31.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$2.44 CHF 1.93

20.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$2.50 CHF 1.97

0.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$1.38 CHF 1.09

12.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 CHF 9.21

$10.97 CHF 8.65

6.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 10.89

$20.39 CHF 16.08

-32.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.88

$2.34 CHF 1.85

2.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.49

$3.30 CHF 2.60

-4.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.61

$3.80 CHF 2.99

20.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.4

$100 CHF 79.2

4.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.30

$8.06 CHF 6.35

-0.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.40

$4.21 CHF 3.32

2.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.8

$80.9 CHF 63.8

7.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.75

$2.14 CHF 1.69

4.21%

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

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

$41.0K CHF 32.3K

-1.48%

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

$44.3K CHF 34.9K

$42.1K CHF 33.2K

5.21%

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

$306 CHF 241

$264 CHF 208

16.17%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.20

$47.90 CHF 37.77

11.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 46.40

$58.4 CHF 46.07

0.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 CHF 71.2

$89.1 CHF 70.2

1.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.51

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 17.91

$22.39 CHF 17.65

1.47%

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

$2,574 CHF 2,029

$2,912 CHF 2,296

-11.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

$35.1K CHF 27.7K

-3.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 105

$138 CHF 109

-3.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.3 CHF 69.6

$66.6 CHF 52.5

32.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 CHF 143

$146 CHF 115

24.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 179

$187 CHF 147

21.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CHF 1,665

$1,703 CHF 1,343

23.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 CHF 1,197

$1,479 CHF 1,166

2.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 CHF 3,018

$2,835 CHF 2,235

34.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,209

$2,501 CHF 1,972

12.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.0K

$12.9K CHF 10.2K

48.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

$8,933 CHF 7,043

59.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,537

$7,452 CHF 5,875

11.28%

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 Interlaken: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Basel and $1,703 in Interlaken. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 11% 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: $156 in Basel vs $143 in Interlaken for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $676 per month, with Interlaken 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 Interlaken: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Interlaken wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Interlaken the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Basel pays 11% more on average, 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: $2,112 in Basel versus $1,703 in Interlaken. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Basel versus $2,912 in Interlaken. 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 $2,500. Interlaken 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 Interlaken delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,517 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Interlaken hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Interlaken 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 Interlaken gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.