Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Martigny Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Martigny

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,741 in Basel versus $3,207 in Martigny.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,905 in Basel versus $4,987 in Martigny.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,069 in Basel versus $6,768 in Martigny.

Living in Basel is roughly 17% more expensive than Martigny, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 179% above, Martigny 139% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.45 CHF 24.09

$30.74 CHF 24.32

-0.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$152 CHF 121

$131 CHF 103

16.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.99 CHF 15.81

$18.66 CHF 14.76

7.13%

Cappuccino

$6.65 CHF 5.26

$4.46 CHF 3.53

49.10%

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

$5.68 CHF 4.50

$4.96 CHF 3.93

14.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CHF 4.14

$4.04 CHF 3.19

29.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.58 CHF 7.57

$7.53 CHF 5.95

27.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 CHF 6.04

$7.52 CHF 5.95

1.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.75

$2.23 CHF 1.76

-0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 CHF 3.03

$3.55 CHF 2.80

7.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 CHF 4.10

$4.75 CHF 3.76

9.05%

Eggs

$8.09 CHF 6.40

$7.05 CHF 5.58

14.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.36 CHF 22.43

$26.99 CHF 21.35

5.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.13 CHF 29.37

$22.55 CHF 17.84

64.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.06 CHF 34.85

$35.64 CHF 28.19

23.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 CHF 3.02

$3.08 CHF 2.44

23.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 CHF 2.11

$2.01 CHF 1.59

32.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.29

$2.54 CHF 2.01

63.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.53

$7.40 CHF 5.86

-5.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 CHF 2.57

$2.20 CHF 1.74

47.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.34

$2.34 CHF 1.85

26.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CHF 2.00

$2.63 CHF 2.08

-3.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CHF 1.24

$0.36 CHF 0.28

336.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.73 CHF 9.28

$10.71 CHF 8.47

9.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 CHF 11.94

$12.89 CHF 10.19

17.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$2.56 CHF 2.02

-8.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CHF 2.41

$4.18 CHF 3.31

-27.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 CHF 3.60

$4.00 CHF 3.16

13.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.9

$101 CHF 79.5

4.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 CHF 6.29

$6.84 CHF 5.41

16.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.38

$4.54 CHF 3.59

-5.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.8 CHF 67.8

$62.8 CHF 49.65

36.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.78

$2.20 CHF 1.74

1.82%

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

$39.6K CHF 31.3K

$41.2K CHF 32.6K

-3.75%

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

$44.8K CHF 35.4K

$37.9K CHF 30.0K

18.23%

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

$309 CHF 244

$123 CHF 97.2

151.58%

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

$53.1 CHF 42.03

$73.6 CHF 58.2

-27.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 CHF 47.79

$53.3 CHF 42.16

13.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.0 CHF 72.0

$87.0 CHF 68.8

4.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.48 CHF 33.60

$44.77 CHF 35.41

-5.12%

Cinema Ticket

$23.06 CHF 18.24

$18.21 CHF 14.40

26.63%

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

$2,609 CHF 2,064

$1,232 CHF 974

111.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K CHF 27.5K

$34.6K CHF 27.4K

0.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 105

$125 CHF 99.2

5.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.1 CHF 68.9

$47.19 CHF 37.33

84.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 138

$134 CHF 106

29.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$231 CHF 182

$148 CHF 117

55.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 CHF 1,682

$1,666 CHF 1,318

27.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 CHF 1,157

$1,438 CHF 1,137

1.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,757 CHF 2,971

$2,799 CHF 2,214

34.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,789 CHF 2,206

$2,501 CHF 1,978

11.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.9K CHF 14.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.3K CHF 10.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,988 CHF 6,318

$5,826 CHF 4,608

37.11%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Martigny: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,126 in Basel and $1,666 in Martigny. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 37% 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: $152 in Basel vs $131 in Martigny for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $696 vs $553 per month, with Martigny 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 Martigny: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Martigny wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Martigny the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Basel pays 37% 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: $2,126 in Basel versus $1,666 in Martigny. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,609 in Basel versus $1,232 in Martigny. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% 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. Martigny 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 Martigny delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,207 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Martigny hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Martigny 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 Martigny gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.