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: $3,610 in Basel versus $3,525 in Montreux.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,659 in Basel versus $5,306 in Montreux.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,707 in Basel versus $7,088 in Montreux.

Living in Basel is roughly 2% more expensive than in Montreux, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 164% above, Montreux 158% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 CHF 25.46

$31.18 CHF 25.72

-1.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 104

$135 CHF 112

-7.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.50 CHF 15.27

$18.32 CHF 15.11

0.98%

Cappuccino

$6.72 CHF 5.54

$6.24 CHF 5.15

7.69%

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

$6.38 CHF 5.26

$5.22 CHF 4.31

22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 CHF 4.79

$4.28 CHF 3.53

35.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.92

$10.09 CHF 8.32

-4.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.74 CHF 8.03

$9.86 CHF 8.14

-1.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.86

$2.26 CHF 1.86

-0.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 CHF 2.49

$3.60 CHF 2.97

-16.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 CHF 2.76

$3.25 CHF 2.68

2.77%

Eggs

$8.26 CHF 6.81

$7.14 CHF 5.89

15.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.04 CHF 21.49

$25.65 CHF 21.16

1.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.62 CHF 22.79

$27.97 CHF 23.08

-1.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.64 CHF 34.35

$40.15 CHF 33.12

3.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.93

$3.73 CHF 3.08

-4.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.87

$1.71 CHF 1.41

32.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.43

$2.50 CHF 2.06

18.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 CHF 3.82

$4.51 CHF 3.72

2.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 CHF 1.46

$1.91 CHF 1.57

-7.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.65

$2.07 CHF 1.70

-3.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 CHF 1.80

$2.10 CHF 1.73

4.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CHF 1.31

$1.77 CHF 1.46

-10.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.43 CHF 9.43

$11.28 CHF 9.31

1.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 CHF 10.00

$12.30 CHF 10.15

-1.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CHF 2.08

$2.73 CHF 2.25

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CHF 2.50

$3.36 CHF 2.77

-9.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 CHF 3.77

$4.46 CHF 3.68

2.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 87.6

$100 CHF 82.9

5.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 CHF 6.52

$7.86 CHF 6.48

0.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.58 CHF 3.78

$3.84 CHF 3.16

19.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.3 CHF 71.2

$64.4 CHF 53.2

33.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.87

$2.37 CHF 1.95

-4.64%

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

$43.2K CHF 35.6K

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

9.17%

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

$40.5K CHF 33.4K

$40.9K CHF 33.7K

-0.91%

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

$295 CHF 244

$294 CHF 242

0.60%

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

$53.7 CHF 44.34

$37.71 CHF 31.11

42.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 CHF 52.9

$51.6 CHF 42.58

24.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.3 CHF 69.5

$90.9 CHF 75.0

-7.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.7 CHF 47.58

$46.17 CHF 38.09

24.93%

Cinema Ticket

$23.28 CHF 19.20

$24.22 CHF 19.98

-3.88%

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

$3,047 CHF 2,514

$2,433 CHF 2,007

25.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.5K

$36.4K CHF 30.0K

-8.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 120

$141 CHF 116

3.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.2 CHF 66.2

$80.1 CHF 66.1

0.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 CHF 133

$166 CHF 137

-2.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 164

$192 CHF 158

3.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 CHF 1,727

$1,771 CHF 1,461

18.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 CHF 1,269

$1,481 CHF 1,222

3.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,533 CHF 2,915

$2,938 CHF 2,424

20.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 CHF 2,327

$2,555 CHF 2,108

10.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 15.0K

$16.2K CHF 13.3K

12.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.7K CHF 12.1K

$12.3K CHF 10.2K

19.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,077 CHF 5,838

$8,061 CHF 6,650

-12.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

1.95

24.62%

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

Last update for Basel: September 14, 2026

Last update for Montreux: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,093 in Basel and $1,771 in Montreux. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreux pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $126 in Basel vs $135 in Montreux. Groceries flip the comparison at $587 vs $583, with Montreux cheaper for home cooking.

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

Montreux wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montreux the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Montreux. 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: $2,093 in Basel versus $1,771 in Montreux. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,047 in Basel versus $2,433 in Montreux. 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 $2,500. Montreux 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 Montreux delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,525 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreux 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 Montreux gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.