Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Naters Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Naters

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,741 in Basel versus $3,436 in Naters.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,905 in Basel versus $5,387 in Naters.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,069 in Basel versus $7,338 in Naters.

Living in Basel is roughly 9% more expensive than Naters, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 179% above, Naters 157% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.45 CHF 24.09

$30.66 CHF 24.25

-0.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$152 CHF 121

$142 CHF 113

7.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.99 CHF 15.81

$18.32 CHF 14.49

9.12%

Cappuccino

$6.65 CHF 5.26

$6.17 CHF 4.88

7.78%

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

$5.68 CHF 4.50

$5.41 CHF 4.28

4.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CHF 4.14

$4.77 CHF 3.78

9.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.58 CHF 7.57

$8.50 CHF 6.72

12.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 CHF 6.04

$7.60 CHF 6.01

0.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.75

$2.13 CHF 1.69

3.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 CHF 3.03

$3.54 CHF 2.80

8.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 CHF 4.10

$4.10 CHF 3.25

26.34%

Eggs

$8.09 CHF 6.40

$7.47 CHF 5.91

8.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.36 CHF 22.43

$29.03 CHF 22.96

-2.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.13 CHF 29.37

$33.96 CHF 26.87

9.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.06 CHF 34.85

$47.05 CHF 37.22

-6.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 CHF 3.02

$3.67 CHF 2.90

3.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 CHF 2.11

$2.33 CHF 1.84

14.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.29

$2.86 CHF 2.26

45.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.53

$6.17 CHF 4.88

13.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 CHF 2.57

$2.55 CHF 2.01

27.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.34

$2.40 CHF 1.90

23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CHF 2.00

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CHF 1.24

$1.33 CHF 1.05

18.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.73 CHF 9.28

$11.19 CHF 8.85

4.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 CHF 11.94

$12.06 CHF 9.54

25.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$2.33 CHF 1.84

0.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CHF 2.41

$3.32 CHF 2.63

-8.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 CHF 3.60

$3.81 CHF 3.01

19.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.9

$99.0 CHF 78.3

5.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 CHF 6.29

$7.77 CHF 6.15

2.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.38

$4.18 CHF 3.30

2.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.8 CHF 67.8

$78.7 CHF 62.3

8.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.78

$2.21 CHF 1.74

1.36%

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

$39.6K CHF 31.3K

$40.7K CHF 32.2K

-2.61%

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

$44.8K CHF 35.4K

$41.1K CHF 32.5K

9.00%

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

$309 CHF 244

$257 CHF 203

20.42%

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

$53.1 CHF 42.03

$48.55 CHF 38.40

9.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 CHF 47.79

$58.7 CHF 46.39

3.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.0 CHF 72.0

$87.5 CHF 69.2

4.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.48 CHF 33.60

Cinema Ticket

$23.06 CHF 18.24

$22.86 CHF 18.08

0.87%

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

$2,609 CHF 2,064

$2,886 CHF 2,283

-9.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K CHF 27.5K

$34.3K CHF 27.1K

1.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 105

$135 CHF 107

-1.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.1 CHF 68.9

$69.0 CHF 54.5

26.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 138

$150 CHF 119

15.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$231 CHF 182

$184 CHF 146

25.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 CHF 1,682

$1,692 CHF 1,339

25.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 CHF 1,157

$1,443 CHF 1,141

1.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,757 CHF 2,971

$2,879 CHF 2,277

30.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,789 CHF 2,206

$2,478 CHF 1,960

12.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.9K CHF 14.2K

$12.8K CHF 10.1K

39.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.3K CHF 10.5K

$10.6K CHF 8,406

25.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,988 CHF 6,318

$8,909 CHF 7,047

-10.34%

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 Naters: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,126 in Basel and $1,692 in Naters. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Naters pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $152 in Basel vs $142 in Naters for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $696 vs $657 per month, with Naters 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 Naters: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Naters wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Naters the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Naters earns 12% 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: $2,126 in Basel versus $1,692 in Naters. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,609 in Basel versus $2,886 in Naters. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Naters 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 Naters delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,436 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Naters hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Naters 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 Naters gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.