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: $3,706 in Basel versus $3,431 in Naters.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,904 in Basel versus $5,392 in Naters.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,102 in Basel versus $7,353 in Naters.

Living in Basel is roughly 8% more expensive than Naters, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 176% above, Naters 155% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.07 CHF 24.67

$30.82 CHF 24.47

0.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$155 CHF 123

$144 CHF 115

7.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.81 CHF 15.72

$18.61 CHF 14.78

6.45%

Cappuccino

$6.98 CHF 5.54

$5.87 CHF 4.66

18.91%

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

$5.69 CHF 4.52

$5.23 CHF 4.15

8.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CHF 3.97

$4.73 CHF 3.75

5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 CHF 7.78

$8.15 CHF 6.47

20.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 CHF 6.07

$7.49 CHF 5.95

2.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.76

$2.16 CHF 1.71

2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 CHF 3.05

$3.46 CHF 2.74

11.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.00 CHF 3.97

$4.26 CHF 3.39

17.37%

Eggs

$8.00 CHF 6.35

$7.25 CHF 5.76

10.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.50 CHF 22.62

$28.66 CHF 22.75

-0.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.38 CHF 28.88

$32.94 CHF 26.15

10.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.61 CHF 35.42

$48.48 CHF 38.49

-7.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CHF 3.14

$3.77 CHF 3.00

4.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 CHF 2.14

$2.34 CHF 1.85

15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.37

$2.98 CHF 2.36

42.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.84 CHF 5.43

$6.44 CHF 5.11

6.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.50

$2.42 CHF 1.92

30.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CHF 2.27

$2.32 CHF 1.84

23.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CHF 2.09

$2.48 CHF 1.97

6.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CHF 1.19

$1.32 CHF 1.05

13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.55 CHF 9.17

$11.16 CHF 8.86

3.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.89 CHF 11.03

$13.87 CHF 11.01

0.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 CHF 1.88

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CHF 2.43

$3.23 CHF 2.57

-5.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 CHF 3.71

$4.01 CHF 3.18

16.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 85.7

$99.8 CHF 79.2

8.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.06 CHF 6.40

$7.79 CHF 6.18

3.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.40

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 69.2

$79.8 CHF 63.3

9.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.76

$2.15 CHF 1.70

3.26%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.7K

$40.7K CHF 32.3K

-1.91%

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

$44.8K CHF 35.5K

$42.0K CHF 33.3K

6.64%

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

$308 CHF 245

$261 CHF 207

18.32%

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

$55.1 CHF 43.74

$48.24 CHF 38.30

14.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 CHF 47.51

$58.8 CHF 46.66

1.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.5 CHF 71.8

$89.4 CHF 71.0

1.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.81 CHF 33.19

Cinema Ticket

$23.10 CHF 18.34

$23.15 CHF 18.38

-0.22%

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

$2,555 CHF 2,029

$2,910 CHF 2,310

-12.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.2K CHF 27.2K

$34.9K CHF 27.7K

-1.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 106

$137 CHF 109

-3.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.4 CHF 68.6

$67.7 CHF 53.7

27.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$175 CHF 139

$149 CHF 118

17.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$234 CHF 186

$190 CHF 151

22.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 CHF 1,672

$1,673 CHF 1,329

25.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CHF 1,178

$1,451 CHF 1,152

2.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,757 CHF 2,982

$2,790 CHF 2,215

34.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,891 CHF 2,295

$2,461 CHF 1,954

17.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.7K CHF 14.8K

$15.4K CHF 12.2K

21.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.0K CHF 11.1K

$12.8K CHF 10.1K

9.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,072 CHF 6,408

$8,931 CHF 7,091

-9.62%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Naters: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,106 in Basel and $1,673 in Naters. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Naters pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $155 in Basel vs $144 in Naters for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $691 vs $659 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 8% 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 11% 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: $2,106 in Basel versus $1,673 in Naters. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,555 in Basel versus $2,910 in Naters. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% 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 $3,431 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 8% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.