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: $3,653 in Basel versus $3,143 in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,857 in Basel versus $4,986 in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,062 in Basel versus $6,828 in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 173% above, La Chaux-de-Fonds 135% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.72 CHF 24.22

$24.98 CHF 19.69

22.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$156 CHF 123

$85.0 CHF 67.0

83.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.37 CHF 15.27

$18.29 CHF 14.42

5.90%

Cappuccino

$6.75 CHF 5.32

$4.60 CHF 3.63

46.74%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.47

$3.62 CHF 2.86

56.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 3.96

$4.58 CHF 3.61

9.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.95

$7.33 CHF 5.78

37.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.87

$6.13 CHF 4.83

21.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$2.30 CHF 1.82

-2.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.94

$3.79 CHF 2.99

-1.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.94

$4.32 CHF 3.41

15.51%

Eggs

$8.16 CHF 6.44

$7.38 CHF 5.82

10.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 22.60

$27.39 CHF 21.59

4.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.93 CHF 28.33

$33.78 CHF 26.63

6.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.12 CHF 34.00

$53.0 CHF 41.75

-18.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.14

$3.53 CHF 2.79

12.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.05

$2.46 CHF 1.94

5.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.35

$3.08 CHF 2.43

37.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.49

$6.21 CHF 4.90

12.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$2.57 CHF 2.02

25.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$2.39 CHF 1.89

23.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$2.59 CHF 2.04

-3.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$1.33 CHF 1.05

16.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 CHF 9.21

$10.97 CHF 8.65

6.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 10.89

$12.50 CHF 9.86

10.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.88

$2.40 CHF 1.89

-0.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.49

$3.74 CHF 2.95

-15.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.61

$3.10 CHF 2.44

47.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.4

$158 CHF 125

-33.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.30

$7.52 CHF 5.93

6.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.40

$3.64 CHF 2.87

18.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.8

$65.5 CHF 51.7

33.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.75

$2.20 CHF 1.73

1.36%

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

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

$41.2K CHF 32.5K

-1.95%

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

$44.3K CHF 34.9K

$48.4K CHF 38.2K

-8.44%

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

$306 CHF 241

$257 CHF 203

19.07%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.20

$48.20 CHF 38.00

11.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 46.40

$63.5 CHF 50.1

-7.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 CHF 71.2

$77.1 CHF 60.8

17.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.51

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 17.91

$24.58 CHF 19.38

-7.57%

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

$2,574 CHF 2,029

$3,131 CHF 2,469

-17.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

$20.9K CHF 16.5K

62.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 105

$138 CHF 109

-3.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.3 CHF 69.6

$79.0 CHF 62.3

11.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 CHF 143

$160 CHF 127

12.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 179

$211 CHF 166

7.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CHF 1,665

$1,460 CHF 1,151

44.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 CHF 1,197

$1,104 CHF 870

37.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 CHF 3,018

$3,903 CHF 3,077

-1.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,209

$2,381 CHF 1,877

17.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.0K

$13.1K CHF 10.4K

45.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

$9,930 CHF 7,829

43.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,537

$5,383 CHF 4,244

54.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

2.46

3.66%

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

Last update for Basel: May 31, 2026

Last update for La Chaux-de-Fonds: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Basel and $1,460 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 54% 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 $85.0 in La Chaux-de-Fonds for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $677 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.

Basel pays 54% 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 $1,460 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Basel versus $3,131 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 $3,143 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.