Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Montreux Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Montreux

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,653 in Basel versus $4,058 in Montreux.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,857 in Basel versus $5,760 in Montreux.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,062 in Basel versus $7,462 in Montreux.

Living in Basel costs roughly 10% less than in Montreux, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 173% above, Montreux 203% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.72 CHF 24.22

$30.25 CHF 23.85

1.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$156 CHF 123

$149 CHF 118

4.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.37 CHF 15.27

$18.89 CHF 14.90

2.54%

Cappuccino

$6.75 CHF 5.32

$6.02 CHF 4.74

12.13%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.47

$5.59 CHF 4.41

1.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 3.96

$4.75 CHF 3.74

5.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.95

$9.61 CHF 7.58

4.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.87

$8.67 CHF 6.84

-14.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$2.23 CHF 1.76

0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.94

$3.80 CHF 3.00

-1.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.94

$4.41 CHF 3.48

13.15%

Eggs

$8.16 CHF 6.44

$7.04 CHF 5.55

15.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 22.60

$29.06 CHF 22.91

-1.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.93 CHF 28.33

$28.44 CHF 22.42

26.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.12 CHF 34.00

$43.85 CHF 34.57

-1.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.14

$4.01 CHF 3.16

-0.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.05

$2.16 CHF 1.70

20.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.35

$2.89 CHF 2.28

46.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.49

$6.40 CHF 5.05

8.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$3.17 CHF 2.50

1.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$2.43 CHF 1.91

20.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$2.52 CHF 1.99

-0.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$1.57 CHF 1.24

-1.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 CHF 9.21

$10.89 CHF 8.59

7.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 10.89

$14.17 CHF 11.17

-2.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.88

$2.03 CHF 1.60

17.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.49

$3.04 CHF 2.39

3.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.61

$4.03 CHF 3.18

13.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.4

$89.5 CHF 70.6

16.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.30

$8.08 CHF 6.37

-1.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.40

$4.12 CHF 3.25

4.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.8

$66.7 CHF 52.6

30.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.75

$2.26 CHF 1.78

-1.33%

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

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

$39.8K CHF 31.4K

1.46%

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

$44.3K CHF 34.9K

$42.0K CHF 33.1K

5.62%

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

$306 CHF 241

$308 CHF 243

-0.68%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.20

$50.1 CHF 39.46

6.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 46.40

$58.1 CHF 45.81

1.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 CHF 71.2

$80.5 CHF 63.4

12.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.51

$36.99 CHF 29.16

14.90%

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 17.91

$22.58 CHF 17.81

0.62%

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

$2,574 CHF 2,029

$2,617 CHF 2,064

-1.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

$33.8K CHF 26.7K

0.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 105

$109 CHF 86.0

22.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.3 CHF 69.6

$68.6 CHF 54.1

28.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 CHF 143

$176 CHF 139

2.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 179

$184 CHF 145

23.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CHF 1,665

$2,177 CHF 1,717

-3.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 CHF 1,197

$2,006 CHF 1,582

-24.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 CHF 3,018

$3,327 CHF 2,623

15.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,209

$2,749 CHF 2,167

1.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.0K

$16.7K CHF 13.2K

14.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

$8,808 CHF 6,944

61.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,537

$8,425 CHF 6,642

-1.58%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Montreux: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Basel and $2,177 in Montreux. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreux pays 2% 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 $149 in Montreux for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $632 per month, with Montreux 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 Montreux: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Basel and Montreux differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($3,653 vs $4,058 including rent). Basel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Montreux earns 2% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Basel versus $2,177 in Montreux. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Basel versus $2,617 in Montreux. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Montreux pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Basel 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 Basel delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,653 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Basel hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Montreux 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 Basel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Montreux. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.