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: $3,730 in Basel versus $3,548 in Thun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,810 in Basel versus $5,381 in Thun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,891 in Basel versus $7,214 in Thun.

Living in Basel is roughly 5% more expensive than Thun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 177% above, Thun 163% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.10 CHF 24.35

$27.75 CHF 21.73

12.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 121

$122 CHF 95.8

26.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.39 CHF 15.18

$17.27 CHF 13.52

12.28%

Cappuccino

$6.74 CHF 5.27

$5.81 CHF 4.55

16.01%

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

$5.71 CHF 4.47

$4.82 CHF 3.77

18.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.26 CHF 4.12

$4.65 CHF 3.64

13.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.05 CHF 7.87

$8.38 CHF 6.56

19.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.61 CHF 5.96

$7.75 CHF 6.07

-1.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.68

$2.24 CHF 1.75

-4.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 CHF 3.01

$3.38 CHF 2.65

13.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 CHF 3.97

$4.11 CHF 3.22

23.36%

Eggs

$7.82 CHF 6.12

$7.14 CHF 5.59

9.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.16 CHF 22.05

$26.35 CHF 20.63

6.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.35 CHF 29.24

$28.15 CHF 22.04

32.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.13 CHF 33.77

$40.83 CHF 31.97

5.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 CHF 3.03

$3.42 CHF 2.68

13.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 CHF 2.08

$2.16 CHF 1.69

23.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 CHF 3.18

$2.82 CHF 2.21

43.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.45

$6.40 CHF 5.01

8.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 CHF 2.52

$2.26 CHF 1.77

42.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.31

$2.16 CHF 1.69

36.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 CHF 2.05

$2.51 CHF 1.97

4.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CHF 1.22

$1.09 CHF 0.86

43.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.90 CHF 9.32

$10.98 CHF 8.60

8.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.30 CHF 11.98

$12.83 CHF 10.05

19.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CHF 1.87

$1.96 CHF 1.54

21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CHF 2.44

$2.27 CHF 1.78

37.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.77 CHF 3.74

$3.88 CHF 3.04

22.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 CHF 83.6

$99.0 CHF 77.6

7.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.94 CHF 6.22

$7.77 CHF 6.08

2.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.26 CHF 3.34

$3.31 CHF 2.59

28.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.3

$65.8 CHF 51.5

32.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.75

$2.14 CHF 1.68

4.21%

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

$41.1K CHF 32.2K

$40.8K CHF 32.0K

0.60%

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

$45.3K CHF 35.4K

$41.8K CHF 32.7K

8.31%

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

$301 CHF 236

$370 CHF 290

-18.55%

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

$54.2 CHF 42.45

$59.3 CHF 46.46

-8.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 CHF 47.18

$57.8 CHF 45.22

4.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.8 CHF 71.9

$87.1 CHF 68.2

5.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.35 CHF 33.16

Cinema Ticket

$22.73 CHF 17.80

$24.98 CHF 19.56

-9.01%

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

$2,621 CHF 2,052

$3,021 CHF 2,365

-13.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.5K CHF 27.0K

$33.4K CHF 26.2K

3.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 106

$149 CHF 117

-9.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.6 CHF 68.6

$69.3 CHF 54.2

26.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$175 CHF 137

$176 CHF 138

-0.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$228 CHF 179

$183 CHF 143

24.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CHF 1,673

$1,684 CHF 1,319

26.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 CHF 1,145

$1,447 CHF 1,133

1.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,717 CHF 2,910

$2,888 CHF 2,261

28.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,837 CHF 2,221

$2,442 CHF 1,912

16.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.4K CHF 13.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.5K CHF 10.6K

$7,747 CHF 6,066

74.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,891 CHF 6,179

$6,547 CHF 5,126

20.53%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Thun: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,137 in Basel and $1,684 in Thun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 21% 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: $154 in Basel vs $122 in Thun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $692 vs $591 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 5% 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 21% 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: $2,137 in Basel versus $1,684 in Thun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,621 in Basel versus $3,021 in Thun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% 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 $3,548 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 5% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.