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: $3,725 in Basel versus $3,105 in Martigny.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,789 in Basel versus $4,873 in Martigny.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,853 in Basel versus $6,641 in Martigny.

Living in Basel is roughly 20% more expensive than in Martigny, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 180% above, Martigny 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.01 CHF 25.23

$31.11 CHF 25.31

-0.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 125

$128 CHF 104

20.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.45 CHF 15.82

$18.45 CHF 15.01

5.42%

Cappuccino

$6.66 CHF 5.42

$4.31 CHF 3.51

54.52%

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

$5.74 CHF 4.67

$4.93 CHF 4.01

16.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CHF 4.07

$4.01 CHF 3.26

24.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.58 CHF 7.79

$7.58 CHF 6.17

26.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.70 CHF 6.26

$7.43 CHF 6.04

3.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.81

$2.32 CHF 1.88

-4.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 CHF 3.04

$3.59 CHF 2.92

4.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.00 CHF 4.07

$4.83 CHF 3.93

3.52%

Eggs

$7.91 CHF 6.44

$6.92 CHF 5.63

14.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.24 CHF 23.79

$26.85 CHF 21.84

8.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.30 CHF 30.34

$22.31 CHF 18.15

67.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.14 CHF 35.09

$35.66 CHF 29.00

20.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 CHF 3.13

$3.23 CHF 2.63

18.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.12

$1.95 CHF 1.59

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 CHF 3.29

$2.54 CHF 2.07

59.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.86 CHF 5.58

$7.60 CHF 6.18

-9.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 CHF 2.62

$2.17 CHF 1.77

48.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CHF 2.31

$2.23 CHF 1.81

27.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CHF 2.14

$2.68 CHF 2.18

-1.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$0.38 CHF 0.31

292.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 CHF 9.40

$11.04 CHF 8.98

4.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.33 CHF 10.85

$12.16 CHF 9.89

9.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CHF 1.90

$2.62 CHF 2.13

-10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.47

$4.00 CHF 3.25

-24.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 CHF 3.71

$3.85 CHF 3.13

18.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 87.5

$99.0 CHF 80.5

8.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.05 CHF 6.55

$6.96 CHF 5.66

15.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.19 CHF 3.41

$4.54 CHF 3.69

-7.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.8 CHF 69.8

$62.3 CHF 50.7

37.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.78

$2.20 CHF 1.79

-0.45%

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

$40.7K CHF 33.1K

$40.3K CHF 32.8K

0.92%

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

$44.9K CHF 36.5K

$38.0K CHF 30.9K

18.32%

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

$303 CHF 246

$122 CHF 99.3

148.27%

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

$53.2 CHF 43.24

$72.0 CHF 58.5

-26.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 CHF 47.61

$54.4 CHF 44.26

7.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.7 CHF 73.8

$86.6 CHF 70.4

4.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.34 CHF 34.44

$46.18 CHF 37.56

-8.32%

Cinema Ticket

$22.39 CHF 18.21

$18.57 CHF 15.10

20.57%

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

$2,538 CHF 2,065

$1,225 CHF 996

107.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K CHF 28.0K

$34.5K CHF 28.1K

-0.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$125 CHF 101

8.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.2 CHF 72.5

$47.45 CHF 38.59

87.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$175 CHF 142

$131 CHF 107

33.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 184

$153 CHF 124

48.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 CHF 1,712

$1,700 CHF 1,383

23.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 CHF 1,218

$1,422 CHF 1,157

5.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,749 CHF 3,049

$2,792 CHF 2,271

34.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,888 CHF 2,349

$2,418 CHF 1,967

19.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K CHF 14.9K

$12.7K CHF 10.4K

43.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.3K CHF 11.6K

$13.7K CHF 11.2K

4.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,099 CHF 5,775

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Martigny: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,105 in Basel and $1,700 in Martigny. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $154 in Basel vs $128 in Martigny for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $689 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 20% 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.

You'd need roughly $5,588 in Basel and $4,658 in Martigny to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,105 in Basel versus $1,700 in Martigny. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,538 in Basel versus $1,225 in Martigny. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% 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 $3,105 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 20% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.