Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and St. Moritz Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and St. Moritz

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,706 in Basel versus $3,847 in St. Moritz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,904 in Basel versus $6,534 in St. Moritz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,102 in Basel versus $9,221 in St. Moritz.

Living in Basel costs roughly 4% less than in St. Moritz, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 176% above, St. Moritz 186% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.07 CHF 24.67

$31.18 CHF 24.75

-0.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$155 CHF 123

$146 CHF 116

5.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.81 CHF 15.72

$14.71 CHF 11.68

34.67%

Cappuccino

$6.98 CHF 5.54

$6.27 CHF 4.98

11.32%

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

$5.69 CHF 4.52

$5.48 CHF 4.35

3.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CHF 3.97

$4.70 CHF 3.73

6.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 CHF 7.78

$9.73 CHF 7.73

0.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 CHF 6.07

$6.05 CHF 4.81

26.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.76

$1.33 CHF 1.06

66.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 CHF 3.05

$3.40 CHF 2.70

13.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.00 CHF 3.97

$3.94 CHF 3.13

26.90%

Eggs

$8.00 CHF 6.35

$7.46 CHF 5.92

7.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.50 CHF 22.62

$29.03 CHF 23.05

-1.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.38 CHF 28.88

$33.94 CHF 26.95

7.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.61 CHF 35.42

$50.8 CHF 40.32

-12.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CHF 3.14

$4.14 CHF 3.29

-4.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 CHF 2.14

$2.91 CHF 2.31

-7.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.37

$3.15 CHF 2.50

34.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.84 CHF 5.43

$5.05 CHF 4.01

35.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.50

$2.73 CHF 2.17

15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CHF 2.27

$2.29 CHF 1.82

24.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CHF 2.09

$2.58 CHF 2.05

1.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CHF 1.19

$1.67 CHF 1.33

-10.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.55 CHF 9.17

$11.28 CHF 8.95

2.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.89 CHF 11.03

$14.82 CHF 11.76

-6.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 CHF 1.88

$2.64 CHF 2.09

-10.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CHF 2.43

$3.22 CHF 2.56

-4.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 CHF 3.71

$4.04 CHF 3.21

15.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 85.7

$95.2 CHF 75.6

13.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.06 CHF 6.40

$7.52 CHF 5.97

7.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.40

$4.54 CHF 3.61

-5.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 69.2

$86.3 CHF 68.5

1.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.76

$2.27 CHF 1.80

-2.20%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.7K

$40.0K CHF 31.8K

-0.20%

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

$44.8K CHF 35.5K

$39.8K CHF 31.6K

12.49%

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

$308 CHF 245

$98.5 CHF 78.2

212.88%

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

$55.1 CHF 43.74

$35.59 CHF 28.25

54.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 CHF 47.51

$59.2 CHF 46.98

1.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.5 CHF 71.8

$73.5 CHF 58.3

23.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.81 CHF 33.19

Cinema Ticket

$23.10 CHF 18.34

$19.41 CHF 15.41

19.01%

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

$2,555 CHF 2,029

$3,408 CHF 2,705

-25.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.2K CHF 27.2K

$38.5K CHF 30.6K

-11.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 106

$141 CHF 112

-5.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.4 CHF 68.6

$61.3 CHF 48.69

40.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$175 CHF 139

$147 CHF 117

19.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$234 CHF 186

$205 CHF 163

14.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 CHF 1,672

$1,699 CHF 1,348

24.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CHF 1,178

$1,955 CHF 1,552

-24.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,757 CHF 2,982

$2,868 CHF 2,277

31.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,891 CHF 2,295

$4,615 CHF 3,664

-37.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.7K CHF 14.8K

$15.0K CHF 11.9K

24.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.0K CHF 11.1K

$11.6K CHF 9,221

20.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,072 CHF 6,408

$4,973 CHF 3,948

62.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

1.8

41.67%

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

Last update for Basel: June 8, 2026

Last update for St. Moritz: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,106 in Basel and $1,699 in St. Moritz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 62% 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 $146 in St. Moritz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $691 vs $670 per month, with St. Moritz 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 St. Moritz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Basel and St. Moritz differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($3,706 vs $3,847 including rent). Basel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Basel pays 62% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,106 in Basel versus $1,699 in St. Moritz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,555 in Basel versus $3,408 in St. Moritz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in St. Moritz pay roughly 3% 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 $3,706 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Basel hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and St. Moritz 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 4% less than in St. Moritz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.