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: $3,610 in Basel versus $3,505 in Naters.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,659 in Basel versus $5,327 in Naters.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,707 in Basel versus $7,149 in Naters.

Living in Basel is roughly 3% more expensive than in Naters, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 164% above, Naters 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 CHF 25.36

$30.48 CHF 25.04

1.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 103

$125 CHF 103

0.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.50 CHF 15.21

$18.73 CHF 15.39

-1.23%

Cappuccino

$6.72 CHF 5.52

$6.17 CHF 5.07

8.91%

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

$6.38 CHF 5.24

$5.46 CHF 4.49

16.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 CHF 4.77

$4.99 CHF 4.10

16.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.89

$9.05 CHF 7.44

6.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.74 CHF 8.00

$7.62 CHF 6.26

27.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.85

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 CHF 2.48

$3.83 CHF 3.15

-21.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 CHF 2.75

$3.85 CHF 3.17

-13.25%

Eggs

$8.26 CHF 6.79

$7.81 CHF 6.42

5.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.04 CHF 21.40

$26.67 CHF 21.92

-2.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.62 CHF 22.70

$28.01 CHF 23.02

-1.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.64 CHF 34.22

$41.51 CHF 34.11

0.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.92

$3.56 CHF 2.92

-0.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.87

$2.03 CHF 1.67

11.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.42

$2.70 CHF 2.22

9.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 CHF 3.81

$4.73 CHF 3.89

-2.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 CHF 1.45

$1.86 CHF 1.53

-4.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.65

$2.16 CHF 1.77

-7.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 CHF 1.80

$2.24 CHF 1.84

-2.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CHF 1.31

$1.33 CHF 1.09

19.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.43 CHF 9.39

$11.00 CHF 9.04

3.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 CHF 9.96

$13.21 CHF 10.85

-8.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CHF 2.07

$2.76 CHF 2.27

-8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CHF 2.49

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 CHF 3.76

$4.55 CHF 3.74

0.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 87.2

$102 CHF 83.5

4.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 CHF 6.49

$7.89 CHF 6.48

0.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.58 CHF 3.77

$4.59 CHF 3.77

-0.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.3 CHF 71.0

$81.7 CHF 67.2

5.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$2.31 CHF 1.90

-2.16%

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

$43.2K CHF 35.5K

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

3.53%

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

$40.5K CHF 33.3K

-0.06%

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

$295 CHF 243

$287 CHF 236

2.99%

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

$53.7 CHF 44.17

$33.27 CHF 27.35

61.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 CHF 52.7

$57.2 CHF 46.97

12.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.3 CHF 69.2

$90.6 CHF 74.5

-7.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.7 CHF 47.40

$47.51 CHF 39.04

21.41%

Cinema Ticket

$23.28 CHF 19.13

$23.75 CHF 19.52

-1.98%

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

$3,047 CHF 2,504

$2,741 CHF 2,252

11.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.4K

$35.5K CHF 29.2K

-6.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 119

$144 CHF 119

0.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.2 CHF 65.9

$59.5 CHF 48.86

34.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 CHF 133

$170 CHF 140

-4.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 163

$187 CHF 154

6.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 CHF 1,720

$1,736 CHF 1,427

20.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 CHF 1,264

$1,493 CHF 1,227

3.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,533 CHF 2,904

$2,928 CHF 2,406

20.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 CHF 2,318

$2,509 CHF 2,062

12.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 15.0K

$16.2K CHF 13.3K

12.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.7K CHF 12.1K

$12.4K CHF 10.2K

18.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,077 CHF 5,816

$8,661 CHF 7,117

-18.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

2.07

17.39%

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

Last update for Basel: September 14, 2026

Last update for Naters: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,093 in Basel and $1,736 in Naters. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Naters pays 22% 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 $125 in Naters. Groceries flip the comparison at $587 vs $598, with Basel 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 Naters: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Naters wins on cost – living expenses run 3% 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, salaries run 22% lower in Naters. 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 $1,736 in Naters. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,047 in Basel versus $2,741 in Naters. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Basel pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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 $3,505 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 3% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.