Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and La Chaux-de-Fonds Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and La Chaux-de-Fonds

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,544 in Basel versus $3,063 in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,518 in Basel versus $4,852 in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,492 in Basel versus $6,641 in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Living in Basel is roughly 16% more expensive than in La Chaux-de-Fonds, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 157% above, La Chaux-de-Fonds 122% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.93 CHF 24.44

$24.87 CHF 20.31

20.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 102

$85.2 CHF 69.6

47.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.69 CHF 15.26

$18.84 CHF 15.39

-0.80%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.49

$4.72 CHF 3.86

42.58%

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

$6.33 CHF 5.17

$3.74 CHF 3.06

69.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 CHF 4.78

$4.73 CHF 3.87

23.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.34 CHF 7.62

$7.39 CHF 6.04

26.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 CHF 8.22

$6.05 CHF 4.94

66.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.89

$2.26 CHF 1.85

2.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 CHF 2.49

$3.21 CHF 2.62

-4.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 CHF 2.71

$3.26 CHF 2.66

1.84%

Eggs

$8.34 CHF 6.81

$7.97 CHF 6.51

4.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.21 CHF 21.41

$26.29 CHF 21.47

-0.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.85 CHF 22.74

$27.42 CHF 22.39

1.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.56 CHF 34.75

$42.24 CHF 34.50

0.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 CHF 2.99

$3.58 CHF 2.92

2.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.96

$2.32 CHF 1.89

3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 CHF 2.44

$3.02 CHF 2.47

-0.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 CHF 3.95

$4.82 CHF 3.93

0.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CHF 1.46

$1.76 CHF 1.44

1.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 CHF 1.59

$2.03 CHF 1.66

-3.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.90

$2.30 CHF 1.88

1.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.36

$1.65 CHF 1.34

0.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CHF 9.50

$11.24 CHF 9.18

3.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 CHF 10.00

$12.13 CHF 9.90

0.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.59

$3.04 CHF 2.48

4.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 CHF 3.63

$4.40 CHF 3.59

0.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 88.3

$100.0 CHF 81.6

8.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.52

$8.14 CHF 6.64

-1.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.59 CHF 3.75

$4.80 CHF 3.92

-4.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.0 CHF 71.9

$86.9 CHF 71.0

1.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.87

$2.26 CHF 1.85

1.33%

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

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

$44.7K CHF 36.5K

-1.00%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.4K

$40.3K CHF 32.9K

-1.69%

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

$299 CHF 244

$298 CHF 244

0.04%

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

$53.3 CHF 43.50

$54.2 CHF 44.25

-1.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 CHF 53.9

$66.1 CHF 54.0

-0.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.8 CHF 70.1

$76.4 CHF 62.4

12.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.0 CHF 48.20

$44.09 CHF 36.00

33.89%

Cinema Ticket

$23.81 CHF 19.45

$23.35 CHF 19.07

1.97%

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

$3,026 CHF 2,471

$2,984 CHF 2,437

1.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.2K

$20.6K CHF 16.8K

61.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 120

$146 CHF 119

0.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.6 CHF 66.7

$80.7 CHF 65.9

1.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 CHF 134

$166 CHF 136

-1.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 162

$204 CHF 167

-2.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 CHF 1,748

$1,483 CHF 1,211

44.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CHF 1,248

$1,105 CHF 902

38.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,615 CHF 2,952

$4,017 CHF 3,280

-10.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,890 CHF 2,360

$2,413 CHF 1,970

19.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

$17.0K CHF 13.9K

7.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.5K CHF 11.9K

$11.5K CHF 9,350

26.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,336 CHF 5,990

$5,259 CHF 4,294

39.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

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

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Last update for La Chaux-de-Fonds: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,141 in Basel and $1,483 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 39% 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: $125 in Basel vs $85.0 in La Chaux-de-Fonds for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $597 vs $591 per month, with La Chaux-de-Fonds 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 La Chaux-de-Fonds: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Chaux-de-Fonds wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making La Chaux-de-Fonds the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 39% higher in Basel, 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: $2,141 in Basel versus $1,483 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,026 in Basel versus $2,984 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. 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 $2,000. La Chaux-de-Fonds 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 La Chaux-de-Fonds delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,063 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes La Chaux-de-Fonds hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and La Chaux-de-Fonds 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 La Chaux-de-Fonds gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.