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: $3,606 in Basel versus $3,815 in Uster.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,819 in Basel versus $5,625 in Uster.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,033 in Basel versus $7,435 in Uster.

Living in Basel costs roughly 5% less than in Uster, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 170% above, Uster 186% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.16 CHF 25.19

$31.40 CHF 25.39

-0.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 125

$147 CHF 119

4.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.41 CHF 15.69

$18.66 CHF 15.09

4.02%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.44

$6.26 CHF 5.06

7.51%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.42

$5.66 CHF 4.58

-3.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 CHF 4.21

$5.34 CHF 4.32

-2.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 CHF 7.80

$10.07 CHF 8.14

-4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 CHF 5.91

$7.16 CHF 5.79

2.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.79

$2.21 CHF 1.78

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 CHF 3.13

$3.00 CHF 2.43

29.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.19 CHF 4.19

$3.52 CHF 2.85

47.44%

Eggs

$7.82 CHF 6.33

$7.39 CHF 5.97

5.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.51 CHF 23.05

$29.48 CHF 23.83

-3.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.76 CHF 29.72

$33.29 CHF 26.92

10.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.22 CHF 35.75

$49.60 CHF 40.10

-10.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CHF 3.16

$3.72 CHF 3.01

5.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.21

$1.92 CHF 1.55

42.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CHF 3.38

$3.08 CHF 2.49

35.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.65

$5.08 CHF 4.10

37.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.64

$2.58 CHF 2.09

26.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.41

$2.29 CHF 1.85

30.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.04

$2.33 CHF 1.88

8.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$1.44 CHF 1.16

3.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 CHF 9.56

$10.66 CHF 8.62

10.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 CHF 11.06

$12.93 CHF 10.46

5.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.96

$2.75 CHF 2.22

-12.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.46

$2.40 CHF 1.94

26.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 CHF 3.85

$3.41 CHF 2.76

39.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 85.0

$100 CHF 81.2

4.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 CHF 6.41

$6.62 CHF 5.35

19.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.36 CHF 3.52

$4.31 CHF 3.49

1.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 70.7

$79.1 CHF 63.9

10.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$2.22 CHF 1.79

-0.90%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

$40.9K CHF 33.1K

-0.32%

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

$45.1K CHF 36.5K

$39.4K CHF 31.8K

14.59%

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

$302 CHF 244

$326 CHF 264

-7.40%

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

$54.0 CHF 43.66

$36.40 CHF 29.43

48.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 47.60

$57.8 CHF 46.75

1.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.9 CHF 73.5

$74.2 CHF 60.0

22.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.38 CHF 33.46

$62.5 CHF 50.5

-33.77%

Cinema Ticket

$23.17 CHF 18.73

$24.97 CHF 20.19

-7.21%

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

$2,533 CHF 2,048

$3,114 CHF 2,518

-18.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

$39.7K CHF 32.1K

-14.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$147 CHF 118

-7.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.6 CHF 70.9

$60.3 CHF 48.74

45.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 CHF 145

$151 CHF 122

19.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$230 CHF 186

$203 CHF 164

12.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 CHF 1,701

$2,084 CHF 1,685

0.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 CHF 1,222

$1,760 CHF 1,423

-14.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,742 CHF 3,025

$3,011 CHF 2,434

24.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 CHF 2,288

$2,482 CHF 2,007

14.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

$14.4K CHF 11.7K

29.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

$14.0K CHF 11.3K

4.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,175 CHF 5,801

$7,035 CHF 5,687

2.00%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Uster: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,103 in Basel and $2,084 in Uster. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $154 in Basel vs $147 in Uster for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $692 vs $650 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 6% in total monthly costs ($3,606 vs $3,815 including rent). Basel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% 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: $2,103 in Basel versus $2,084 in Uster. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,533 in Basel versus $3,114 in Uster. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Uster pay roughly 6% 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 $3,606 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 6% less than in Uster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.