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: $3,606 in Basel versus $3,993 in Montreux.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,819 in Basel versus $5,756 in Montreux.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,033 in Basel versus $7,519 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 170% above, Montreux 199% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.16 CHF 25.24

$30.86 CHF 24.99

0.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 125

$148 CHF 120

3.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.41 CHF 15.72

$18.76 CHF 15.20

3.46%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.45

$6.09 CHF 4.93

10.51%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.43

$5.51 CHF 4.46

-0.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 CHF 4.22

$4.90 CHF 3.97

6.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 CHF 7.82

$10.00 CHF 8.10

-3.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 CHF 5.92

$8.49 CHF 6.88

-13.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.79

$2.26 CHF 1.83

-2.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 CHF 3.14

$3.86 CHF 3.12

0.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.19 CHF 4.20

$4.39 CHF 3.56

18.22%

Eggs

$7.82 CHF 6.34

$7.29 CHF 5.91

7.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.51 CHF 23.09

$28.22 CHF 22.86

1.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.76 CHF 29.78

$28.54 CHF 23.11

28.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.22 CHF 35.82

$43.93 CHF 35.58

0.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CHF 3.16

$4.02 CHF 3.26

-2.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.22

$2.16 CHF 1.75

26.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CHF 3.38

$2.91 CHF 2.36

43.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.66

$6.64 CHF 5.38

5.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.64

$3.15 CHF 2.55

3.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.41

$2.41 CHF 1.95

23.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.04

$2.53 CHF 2.05

-0.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$1.57 CHF 1.27

-5.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 CHF 9.58

$11.06 CHF 8.96

6.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 CHF 11.08

$13.75 CHF 11.14

-0.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.96

$2.04 CHF 1.65

18.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.46

$3.11 CHF 2.52

-2.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 CHF 3.86

$4.15 CHF 3.36

14.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 85.1

$91.3 CHF 73.9

15.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 CHF 6.42

$7.97 CHF 6.45

-0.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.36 CHF 3.53

$4.13 CHF 3.35

5.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 70.8

$66.8 CHF 54.1

30.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$2.24 CHF 1.81

-1.79%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

$40.4K CHF 32.8K

0.88%

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

$45.1K CHF 36.6K

$41.1K CHF 33.3K

9.87%

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

$302 CHF 245

$298 CHF 241

1.54%

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

$54.0 CHF 43.74

$50.9 CHF 41.22

6.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 47.69

$57.7 CHF 46.73

2.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.9 CHF 73.6

$80.5 CHF 65.2

12.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.38 CHF 33.52

$37.31 CHF 30.22

10.91%

Cinema Ticket

$23.17 CHF 18.77

$22.78 CHF 18.45

1.71%

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

$2,533 CHF 2,052

$2,625 CHF 2,126

-3.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

$34.5K CHF 27.9K

-1.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$110 CHF 89.2

22.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.6 CHF 71.0

$70.7 CHF 57.3

23.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 CHF 146

$177 CHF 143

1.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$230 CHF 186

$184 CHF 149

25.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 CHF 1,704

$2,182 CHF 1,767

-3.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 CHF 1,224

$1,999 CHF 1,619

-24.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,742 CHF 3,031

$3,322 CHF 2,691

12.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 CHF 2,292

$2,802 CHF 2,269

0.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

$16.2K CHF 13.1K

16.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

$12.2K CHF 9,920

19.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,175 CHF 5,812

$7,997 CHF 6,478

-10.28%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Montreux: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,103 in Basel and $2,182 in Montreux. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreux pays 11% 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: $154 in Basel vs $148 in Montreux for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $692 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 ($3,606 vs $3,993 including rent). Basel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 11% 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: $2,103 in Basel versus $2,182 in Montreux. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,533 in Basel versus $2,625 in Montreux. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Montreux pay roughly 9% 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 $3,606 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.