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: $3,544 in Basel versus $3,758 in St. Moritz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,518 in Basel versus $6,619 in St. Moritz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,492 in Basel versus $9,479 in St. Moritz.

Living in Basel costs roughly 6% less than in St. Moritz, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 157% above, St. Moritz 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.93 CHF 24.42

$37.71 CHF 30.78

-20.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 102

$147 CHF 120

-14.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.69 CHF 15.25

$14.97 CHF 12.22

24.85%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.49

$6.34 CHF 5.18

6.15%

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

$6.33 CHF 5.17

$5.52 CHF 4.51

14.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 CHF 4.78

$4.57 CHF 3.73

28.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.34 CHF 7.62

$9.78 CHF 7.98

-4.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 CHF 8.22

$6.33 CHF 5.16

59.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.89

$1.86 CHF 1.52

24.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 CHF 2.49

$3.89 CHF 3.17

-21.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 CHF 2.71

$3.84 CHF 3.13

-13.54%

Eggs

$8.34 CHF 6.80

$7.50 CHF 6.12

11.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.21 CHF 21.39

$27.52 CHF 22.46

-4.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.85 CHF 22.73

$27.09 CHF 22.11

2.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.56 CHF 34.73

$62.2 CHF 50.8

-31.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 CHF 2.99

$4.14 CHF 3.38

-11.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.96

$2.88 CHF 2.35

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 CHF 2.44

$3.51 CHF 2.87

-14.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 CHF 3.94

$4.85 CHF 3.96

-0.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CHF 1.46

$2.58 CHF 2.10

-30.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 CHF 1.59

$2.18 CHF 1.78

-10.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.90

$2.59 CHF 2.12

-10.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.36

$1.27 CHF 1.04

30.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CHF 9.49

$11.03 CHF 9.00

5.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 CHF 9.99

$13.32 CHF 10.87

-8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

$2.85 CHF 2.32

-12.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.59

$3.25 CHF 2.65

-2.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 CHF 3.63

$3.85 CHF 3.15

15.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 88.3

$95.6 CHF 78.0

13.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.52

$8.57 CHF 6.99

-6.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.59 CHF 3.75

$4.82 CHF 3.93

-4.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.0 CHF 71.8

$91.1 CHF 74.4

-3.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.87

$2.25 CHF 1.84

1.78%

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

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

$41.1K CHF 33.5K

7.64%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.3K

$40.7K CHF 33.2K

-2.57%

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

$299 CHF 244

$97.1 CHF 79.3

207.35%

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

$53.3 CHF 43.47

$39.52 CHF 32.25

34.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 CHF 53.9

$58.2 CHF 47.46

13.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.8 CHF 70.0

$73.8 CHF 60.2

16.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.0 CHF 48.17

Cinema Ticket

$23.81 CHF 19.44

$19.30 CHF 15.75

23.37%

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

$3,026 CHF 2,470

$3,671 CHF 2,996

-17.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

$43.2K CHF 35.2K

-22.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 120

$148 CHF 121

-1.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.6 CHF 66.6

$60.9 CHF 49.73

33.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 CHF 134

$171 CHF 140

-4.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 162

$265 CHF 216

-24.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 CHF 1,747

$1,874 CHF 1,529

14.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CHF 1,247

$1,758 CHF 1,435

-13.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,615 CHF 2,950

$5,636 CHF 4,599

-35.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,890 CHF 2,358

$4,841 CHF 3,950

-40.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

$12.6K CHF 10.3K

15.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,336 CHF 5,987

$4,853 CHF 3,961

51.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

1.8

35.00%

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

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Last update for St. Moritz: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,141 in Basel and $1,874 in St. Moritz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 51% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $125 in Basel vs $147 in St. Moritz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $597 vs $669 per month, with Basel 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 wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in St. Moritz. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Basel the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 51% higher in Basel, 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: $2,141 in Basel versus $1,874 in St. Moritz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,026 in Basel versus $3,671 in St. Moritz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in St. Moritz. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 $3,544 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 6% less than in St. Moritz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.