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: $3,741 in Basel versus $3,865 in St. Moritz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,905 in Basel versus $6,642 in St. Moritz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,069 in Basel versus $9,420 in St. Moritz.

Living in Basel costs roughly 3% less than in St. Moritz, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 179% above, St. Moritz 189% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.45 CHF 24.09

$31.31 CHF 24.77

-2.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$152 CHF 121

$150 CHF 118

1.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.99 CHF 15.81

$15.03 CHF 11.89

33.00%

Cappuccino

$6.65 CHF 5.26

$6.14 CHF 4.86

8.31%

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

$5.68 CHF 4.50

$5.46 CHF 4.32

4.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CHF 4.14

$4.76 CHF 3.76

9.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.58 CHF 7.57

$10.02 CHF 7.92

-4.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 CHF 6.04

$6.03 CHF 4.77

26.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.75

$1.33 CHF 1.05

66.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 CHF 3.03

$3.44 CHF 2.72

11.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 CHF 4.10

$4.11 CHF 3.25

26.03%

Eggs

$8.09 CHF 6.40

$7.45 CHF 5.90

8.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.36 CHF 22.43

$29.79 CHF 23.56

-4.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.13 CHF 29.37

$33.95 CHF 26.85

9.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.06 CHF 34.85

$50.4 CHF 39.84

-12.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 CHF 3.02

$4.09 CHF 3.23

-6.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 CHF 2.11

$2.92 CHF 2.31

-8.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.29

$3.15 CHF 2.49

31.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.53

$5.05 CHF 3.99

38.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 CHF 2.57

$2.82 CHF 2.23

14.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.34

$2.31 CHF 1.82

28.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CHF 2.00

$2.51 CHF 1.99

0.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CHF 1.24

$1.73 CHF 1.37

-9.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.73 CHF 9.28

$10.87 CHF 8.60

7.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 CHF 11.94

$15.15 CHF 11.98

-0.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$2.75 CHF 2.18

-14.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CHF 2.41

$3.21 CHF 2.54

-4.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 CHF 3.60

$3.83 CHF 3.03

18.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.9

$94.2 CHF 74.5

11.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 CHF 6.29

$7.60 CHF 6.01

4.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.38

$4.58 CHF 3.63

-6.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.8 CHF 67.8

$86.6 CHF 68.5

-0.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.78

$2.24 CHF 1.77

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

$39.6K CHF 31.3K

$40.3K CHF 31.9K

-1.66%

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

$44.8K CHF 35.4K

$39.4K CHF 31.2K

13.52%

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

$309 CHF 244

$99.5 CHF 78.7

210.75%

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

$53.1 CHF 42.03

$36.21 CHF 28.64

46.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 CHF 47.79

$59.8 CHF 47.30

1.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.0 CHF 72.0

$73.0 CHF 57.7

24.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.48 CHF 33.60

Cinema Ticket

$23.06 CHF 18.24

$19.20 CHF 15.19

20.10%

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

$2,609 CHF 2,064

$3,465 CHF 2,741

-24.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K CHF 27.5K

$39.6K CHF 31.3K

-12.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 105

$137 CHF 109

-3.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.1 CHF 68.9

$61.5 CHF 48.68

41.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 138

$150 CHF 118

16.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$231 CHF 182

$205 CHF 162

12.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 CHF 1,682

$1,709 CHF 1,351

24.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 CHF 1,157

$1,982 CHF 1,568

-26.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,757 CHF 2,971

$2,826 CHF 2,236

32.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,789 CHF 2,206

$4,665 CHF 3,690

-40.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.9K CHF 14.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.3K CHF 10.5K

$12.8K CHF 10.1K

3.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,988 CHF 6,318

$4,994 CHF 3,950

59.94%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for St. Moritz: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,126 in Basel and $1,709 in St. Moritz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 60% 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 $150 in St. Moritz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $696 vs $674 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 3% in total monthly costs ($3,741 vs $3,865 including rent). Basel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Basel pays 60% 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: $2,126 in Basel versus $1,709 in St. Moritz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,609 in Basel versus $3,465 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 $3,741 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 3% less than in St. Moritz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.