Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Thun Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Thun

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,653 in Basel versus $3,525 in Thun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,857 in Basel versus $5,293 in Thun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,062 in Basel versus $7,060 in Thun.

Living in Basel is roughly 4% more expensive than Thun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 173% above, Thun 163% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.72 CHF 24.24

$28.21 CHF 22.26

8.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$156 CHF 123

$124 CHF 97.7

25.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.37 CHF 15.28

$17.30 CHF 13.66

11.97%

Cappuccino

$6.75 CHF 5.33

$5.89 CHF 4.65

14.60%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.47

$4.75 CHF 3.75

19.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 3.96

$4.83 CHF 3.81

3.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.96

$8.48 CHF 6.69

18.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.88

$7.67 CHF 6.05

-2.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$2.22 CHF 1.75

0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.95

$3.40 CHF 2.69

9.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.94

$4.13 CHF 3.26

20.82%

Eggs

$8.16 CHF 6.44

$7.32 CHF 5.78

11.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 22.62

$26.79 CHF 21.15

7.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.93 CHF 28.36

$28.73 CHF 22.68

25.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.12 CHF 34.03

$41.10 CHF 32.44

4.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.14

$3.56 CHF 2.81

11.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.05

$2.15 CHF 1.70

20.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.35

$2.79 CHF 2.20

51.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.49

$6.33 CHF 4.99

9.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$2.23 CHF 1.76

44.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$2.16 CHF 1.71

36.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$2.54 CHF 2.01

-1.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$1.11 CHF 0.87

39.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 CHF 9.22

$11.10 CHF 8.76

5.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 10.90

$12.65 CHF 9.98

9.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.89

$1.90 CHF 1.50

25.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.49

$2.29 CHF 1.80

37.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.61

$3.83 CHF 3.02

19.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.5

$100.0 CHF 78.9

4.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.31

$7.90 CHF 6.23

1.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.40

$3.30 CHF 2.61

30.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.8

$66.2 CHF 52.3

31.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.76

$2.24 CHF 1.77

-0.45%

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

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

$40.3K CHF 31.8K

0.32%

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

$44.3K CHF 35.0K

$40.8K CHF 32.2K

8.69%

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

$306 CHF 242

$366 CHF 289

-16.28%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.24

$59.6 CHF 47.00

-10.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 46.44

$59.2 CHF 46.75

-0.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 CHF 71.2

$86.5 CHF 68.3

4.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.54

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 17.93

$24.60 CHF 19.42

-7.64%

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

$2,574 CHF 2,031

$3,030 CHF 2,391

-15.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

$33.9K CHF 26.7K

0.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 105

$153 CHF 120

-12.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.3 CHF 69.7

$69.8 CHF 55.1

26.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 CHF 143

$176 CHF 139

3.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 179

$186 CHF 147

22.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CHF 1,666

$1,687 CHF 1,331

25.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 CHF 1,199

$1,473 CHF 1,162

3.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 CHF 3,021

$2,870 CHF 2,265

33.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,211

$2,499 CHF 1,972

12.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

$7,647 CHF 6,035

86.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,544

$6,206 CHF 4,898

33.61%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Thun: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Basel and $1,687 in Thun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 34% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $156 in Basel vs $124 in Thun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $597 per month, with Thun 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 Thun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thun wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Thun the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Basel pays 34% 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: $2,112 in Basel versus $1,687 in Thun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Basel versus $3,030 in Thun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Thun 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 Thun delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,525 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Thun hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Thun 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 Thun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.