Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Thun

For one person, living costs are similar in Basel and in Thun: $3,461 and $3,388 a month, rent and utilities included.

169

Cost of Living Index in Basel
Learn more

Basel Living Index
166

Cost of Living Index in Thun
Learn more

Thun Living Index

Jump to prices

Basel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,461

/mo nomad

Thun

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basel and in Thun

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Basel and in Thun actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,461 in Basel versus $3,388 in Thun.

Basel $3,461
Thun $3,388

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,427 in Basel versus $5,170 in Thun.

Basel $5,427
Thun $5,170

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,394 in Basel versus $6,952 in Thun.

Basel $7,394
Thun $6,952

Living in Basel is roughly 2% more expensive than in Thun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 156% above, Thun 151% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.60 CHF 24.38

$28.31 CHF 23.32

4.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 CHF 102

$122 CHF 100

1.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.93 CHF 14.77

$15.51 CHF 12.77

15.60%

Cappuccino

$6.21 CHF 5.12

$6.45 CHF 5.31

-3.72%

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

$6.50 CHF 5.35

$6.28 CHF 5.17

3.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 CHF 4.75

$5.88 CHF 4.84

-1.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.20 CHF 7.58

$8.85 CHF 7.29

3.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.79 CHF 8.07

$7.67 CHF 6.32

27.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$2.13 CHF 1.76

6.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 CHF 2.57

$2.99 CHF 2.46

4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.61

$3.13 CHF 2.58

1.28%

Eggs

$7.83 CHF 6.45

$7.60 CHF 6.26

3.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.04 CHF 21.45

$23.82 CHF 19.62

9.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.78 CHF 22.05

$26.88 CHF 22.14

-0.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.31 CHF 33.20

$39.26 CHF 32.34

2.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CHF 2.90

$3.55 CHF 2.92

-0.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.92

$1.96 CHF 1.61

19.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.44

$2.65 CHF 2.18

11.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 CHF 3.72

$4.73 CHF 3.90

-4.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 CHF 1.42

$1.56 CHF 1.28

10.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 CHF 1.56

$2.00 CHF 1.65

-5.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 CHF 1.84

$2.19 CHF 1.80

2.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 CHF 1.33

$1.28 CHF 1.05

25.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.08 CHF 9.13

$11.25 CHF 9.26

-1.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.84 CHF 9.75

$12.09 CHF 9.96

-2.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CHF 2.08

$2.26 CHF 1.86

11.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 CHF 2.44

$2.92 CHF 2.41

1.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.53 CHF 3.73

$4.49 CHF 3.70

0.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 86.5

$100 CHF 82.6

4.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.95 CHF 6.54

$8.04 CHF 6.62

-1.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.51 CHF 3.71

$4.53 CHF 3.73

-0.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$84.6 CHF 69.7

$82.9 CHF 68.3

2.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.91

$2.38 CHF 1.96

-2.94%

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

$42.3K CHF 34.8K

$42.5K CHF 35.0K

-0.61%

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

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

$39.4K CHF 32.5K

-1.80%

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

$292 CHF 240

$289 CHF 238

0.84%

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

$46.45 CHF 38.25

$46.36 CHF 38.18

0.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.9 CHF 51.0

$62.8 CHF 51.7

-1.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.1 CHF 66.8

$89.8 CHF 74.0

-9.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.5 CHF 48.17

$46.01 CHF 37.89

27.10%

Cinema Ticket

$22.48 CHF 18.52

$23.22 CHF 19.12

-3.19%

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

$2,993 CHF 2,465

$3,058 CHF 2,519

-2.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.0K CHF 26.3K

$30.5K CHF 25.1K

4.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 117

$144 CHF 119

-1.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.1 CHF 63.5

$78.8 CHF 64.9

-2.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 131

-0.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 163

$192 CHF 158

3.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,953 CHF 1,609

$1,685 CHF 1,388

15.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 CHF 1,207

$1,432 CHF 1,180

2.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,586 CHF 2,954

$2,842 CHF 2,341

26.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,796 CHF 2,302

$2,457 CHF 2,023

13.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K CHF 14.9K

$16.2K CHF 13.4K

11.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.3K CHF 11.8K

$11.8K CHF 9,721

21.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,863 CHF 5,652

$5,785 CHF 4,765

18.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.42

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

Last update for Basel: October 10, 2026

Last update for Thun: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Basel

$1.5K 42.4%

Thun

$1.4K 42.3% 2.3% $33

Groceries & Markets

Basel

$576 16.7%

Thun

$556 16.4% 3.6% $21

Eating Out

Basel

$480 13.9%

Thun

$459 13.5% 4.4% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basel

$400 11.6%

Thun

$398 11.8% 0.4% $1.6

Clothing & Footwear

Basel

$260 7.5%

Thun

$258 7.6% 0.5% $1.4

Getting Around

Basel

$154 4.4%

Thun

$149 4.4% 3.1% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Basel

$126 3.6%

Thun

$136 4% 8.1% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,953 in Basel and $1,685 in Thun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 19% 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: $123 in Basel vs $122 in Thun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $576 vs $556 per month, with Thun cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Basel

🇨🇭 Thun

🕒 Local time

04:51 4:51 AM

Same time as Basel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,491

43,905

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Basel Thun 89 km

From you

Basel
Thun

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 2% 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.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $1,953 in Basel versus $1,685 in Thun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,993 in Basel versus $3,058 in Thun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% 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 $3,388 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 2% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.