Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Locarno Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Locarno

😐 Solo nomad: Basel is 30.2% more expensive than Locarno without rent, and 33.8% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Basel is 19.6% more expensive than Locarno without rent, and 27.6% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Basel
Locarno
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$30.35 CHF 23.76
$27.33 CHF 21.40
11.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$154 CHF 121
$151 CHF 118
2.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$19.43 CHF 15.21
$16.32 CHF 12.78
19.06%
Cappuccino
$7.03 CHF 5.50
$4.80 CHF 3.76
46.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.76 CHF 4.51
$5.14 CHF 4.03
12.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.06 CHF 3.96
$4.50 CHF 3.52
12.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.82 CHF 7.69
$7.28 CHF 5.70
34.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.29 CHF 5.71
$7.11 CHF 5.56
2.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Basel
Locarno
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.19 CHF 1.71
$1.80 CHF 1.41
21.67%
White Bread (500g)
$3.88 CHF 3.04
$2.67 CHF 2.09
45.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.15 CHF 4.03
$2.50 CHF 1.96
106.00%
Eggs
$7.87 CHF 6.16
$6.05 CHF 4.74
30.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$28.96 CHF 22.68
$27.69 CHF 21.68
4.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$36.22 CHF 28.36
$14.95 CHF 11.71
142.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$43.87 CHF 34.35
$37.03 CHF 28.99
18.47%
Apples (1kg)
$3.95 CHF 3.09
$2.79 CHF 2.18
41.58%
Banana (1kg)
$2.61 CHF 2.05
$1.81 CHF 1.42
44.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.05 CHF 3.17
$1.80 CHF 1.41
125.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.96 CHF 5.45
$3.03 CHF 2.37
129.70%
Potato (1kg)
$3.28 CHF 2.57
$1.37 CHF 1.08
139.42%
Onion (1kg)
$2.92 CHF 2.29
$1.83 CHF 1.44
59.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.62 CHF 2.05
$1.80 CHF 1.41
45.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 CHF 1.22
$0.76 CHF 0.60
103.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.87 CHF 9.30
$10.73 CHF 8.40
10.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.48 CHF 12.12
$11.48 CHF 8.99
34.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.47 CHF 1.93
$2.28 CHF 1.79
8.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.15 CHF 2.47
$2.37 CHF 1.85
32.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Basel
Locarno
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.80 CHF 3.76
$2.84 CHF 2.22
69.01%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$107 CHF 83.7
$98.6 CHF 77.2
8.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.15 CHF 6.38
$6.95 CHF 5.44
17.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.18 CHF 3.28
$4.17 CHF 3.27
0.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$86.7 CHF 67.9
$79.2 CHF 62.0
9.42%
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)
$40.6K CHF 31.8K
$34.5K CHF 27.0K
17.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$45.3K CHF 35.4K
$41.7K CHF 32.7K
8.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Basel
Locarno
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$299 CHF 234
$333 CHF 260
-10.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$54.6 CHF 42.72
$24.92 CHF 19.51
118.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.4 CHF 47.25
$46.39 CHF 36.32
30.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Basel
Locarno
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$88.5 CHF 69.3
$73.6 CHF 57.6
20.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$41.45 CHF 32.46
$30.36 CHF 23.77
36.53%
Cinema Ticket
$23.14 CHF 18.12
$20.78 CHF 16.27
11.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Basel
Locarno
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,625 CHF 2,055
$1,462 CHF 1,145
79.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$34.2K CHF 26.8K
$19.3K CHF 15.1K
77.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Basel
Locarno
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$133 CHF 104
$116 CHF 91.1
14.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$88.7 CHF 69.4
$59.2 CHF 46.39
49.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$178 CHF 139
$120 CHF 93.6
48.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$230 CHF 180
$118 CHF 92.5
94.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Basel
Locarno
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,087 CHF 1,634
$1,035 CHF 810
101.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,476 CHF 1,156
$1,051 CHF 823
40.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,778 CHF 2,958
$2,471 CHF 1,935
52.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,825 CHF 2,212
$2,209 CHF 1,730
27.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$17.7K CHF 13.9K
$8,535 CHF 6,683
107.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$13.6K CHF 10.6K
$6,571 CHF 5,145
106.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Basel
Locarno
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$8,090 CHF 6,335
$7,237 CHF 5,667
11.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.55
2.17
17.51%

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

Last update for Basel: March 3, 2026

Last update for Locarno: March 1, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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