Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Uster Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Uster

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,653 in Basel versus $3,820 in Uster.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,857 in Basel versus $5,621 in Uster.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,062 in Basel versus $7,423 in Uster.

Living in Basel costs roughly 4% less than in Uster, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 173% above, Uster 185% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.72 CHF 24.22

$30.20 CHF 23.81

1.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$156 CHF 123

$149 CHF 117

4.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.37 CHF 15.27

$18.43 CHF 14.53

5.10%

Cappuccino

$6.75 CHF 5.32

$6.16 CHF 4.86

9.58%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.47

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 3.96

$5.14 CHF 4.05

-2.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.95

$9.59 CHF 7.56

5.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.87

$7.04 CHF 5.55

5.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$2.22 CHF 1.75

0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.94

$2.93 CHF 2.31

27.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.94

$3.70 CHF 2.92

34.86%

Eggs

$8.16 CHF 6.44

$7.43 CHF 5.86

9.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 22.60

$29.01 CHF 22.87

-1.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.93 CHF 28.33

$32.95 CHF 25.98

9.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.12 CHF 34.00

$49.25 CHF 38.83

-12.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.14

$3.53 CHF 2.78

12.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.05

$1.84 CHF 1.45

41.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.35

$3.12 CHF 2.46

35.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.49

$5.23 CHF 4.13

33.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$2.57 CHF 2.03

25.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$2.31 CHF 1.82

27.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$2.38 CHF 1.88

5.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$1.39 CHF 1.10

11.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 CHF 9.21

$10.99 CHF 8.67

6.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 10.89

$11.65 CHF 9.19

18.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.88

$2.61 CHF 2.06

-8.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.49

$2.40 CHF 1.89

31.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.61

$3.39 CHF 2.68

35.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.4

$99.3 CHF 78.3

5.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.30

$6.76 CHF 5.33

18.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.40

$4.19 CHF 3.30

2.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.8

$79.2 CHF 62.5

10.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.75

$2.33 CHF 1.84

-4.29%

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

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

$41.0K CHF 32.3K

-1.50%

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

$44.3K CHF 34.9K

$38.7K CHF 30.5K

14.50%

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

$306 CHF 241

$334 CHF 263

-8.39%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.20

$35.59 CHF 28.06

50.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 46.40

$59.4 CHF 46.83

-0.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 CHF 71.2

$74.4 CHF 58.6

21.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.51

$61.1 CHF 48.21

-30.49%

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 17.91

$24.99 CHF 19.70

-9.08%

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

$2,574 CHF 2,029

$3,119 CHF 2,459

-17.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

$39.3K CHF 31.0K

-13.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 105

$147 CHF 116

-9.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.3 CHF 69.6

$62.6 CHF 49.36

41.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 CHF 143

$147 CHF 116

22.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 179

$204 CHF 161

11.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CHF 1,665

$2,084 CHF 1,643

1.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 CHF 1,197

$1,804 CHF 1,423

-15.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 CHF 3,018

$2,969 CHF 2,341

28.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,209

$2,481 CHF 1,956

12.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,537

$7,179 CHF 5,660

15.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

2.09

22.01%

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

Last update for Basel: May 31, 2026

Last update for Uster: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Basel and $2,084 in Uster. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $156 in Basel vs $149 in Uster for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $643 per month, with Uster 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 Uster: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Basel and Uster differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($3,653 vs $3,820 including rent). Basel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Basel pays 15% 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 $2,084 in Uster. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Basel versus $3,119 in Uster. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Uster pay roughly 7% 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 $3,653 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Basel hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Uster 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 5% less than in Uster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.