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: $3,566 in Basel versus $3,715 in Uster.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,581 in Basel versus $5,466 in Uster.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,595 in Basel versus $7,216 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 160% above, Uster 170% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.61 CHF 24.07

$30.82 CHF 25.06

-3.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 CHF 104

$125 CHF 101

2.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.47 CHF 15.01

$18.34 CHF 14.91

0.71%

Cappuccino

$6.76 CHF 5.50

$6.30 CHF 5.12

7.30%

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

$6.33 CHF 5.14

$5.60 CHF 4.55

13.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 CHF 5.00

$4.86 CHF 3.95

26.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.91 CHF 7.24

$8.75 CHF 7.11

1.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.93 CHF 8.07

$6.86 CHF 5.58

44.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 CHF 1.90

$2.23 CHF 1.82

4.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 CHF 2.61

$3.39 CHF 2.76

-5.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 CHF 2.73

$4.50 CHF 3.66

-25.33%

Eggs

$8.03 CHF 6.53

$7.71 CHF 6.27

4.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.94 CHF 21.90

$33.08 CHF 26.89

-18.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.83 CHF 22.63

$29.96 CHF 24.36

-7.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.82 CHF 34.00

$43.94 CHF 35.72

-4.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 CHF 2.93

$3.73 CHF 3.03

-3.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 CHF 1.91

$2.13 CHF 1.73

10.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 CHF 2.54

$2.92 CHF 2.38

6.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 CHF 3.93

$4.73 CHF 3.84

2.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 CHF 1.40

$2.03 CHF 1.65

-14.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.68

$2.32 CHF 1.88

-10.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.89

$2.40 CHF 1.95

-2.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 CHF 1.33

$1.39 CHF 1.13

17.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.39 CHF 9.26

$11.02 CHF 8.96

3.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.41 CHF 10.09

$13.64 CHF 11.09

-9.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 CHF 2.13

$3.22 CHF 2.62

-18.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 CHF 2.61

$2.83 CHF 2.30

13.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.60 CHF 3.74

$4.50 CHF 3.66

2.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 88.2

$101 CHF 82.0

7.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.16 CHF 6.63

$5.73 CHF 4.66

42.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.67 CHF 3.80

$3.54 CHF 2.88

31.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.9 CHF 69.8

$63.3 CHF 51.5

35.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.85

$2.32 CHF 1.88

-2.16%

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

$43.8K CHF 35.6K

$43.2K CHF 35.1K

1.59%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.4K

$40.4K CHF 32.9K

-1.53%

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

$304 CHF 247

$207 CHF 168

46.88%

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

$54.2 CHF 44.05

$33.27 CHF 27.05

62.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 CHF 52.6

$66.4 CHF 53.9

-2.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.3 CHF 67.7

$76.2 CHF 62.0

9.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.5 CHF 47.56

$46.53 CHF 37.83

25.73%

Cinema Ticket

$23.78 CHF 19.34

$22.02 CHF 17.90

7.99%

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

$3,055 CHF 2,484

$1,851 CHF 1,505

65.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K CHF 26.5K

$33.8K CHF 27.5K

-3.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 120

$171 CHF 139

-13.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.7 CHF 66.4

$89.5 CHF 72.8

-8.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 CHF 135

$154 CHF 125

8.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 CHF 167

$181 CHF 147

14.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 CHF 1,703

$1,834 CHF 1,491

14.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 CHF 1,243

$1,830 CHF 1,488

-16.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,547 CHF 2,884

$3,057 CHF 2,485

16.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,865 CHF 2,329

$2,481 CHF 2,017

15.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 14.8K

$16.7K CHF 13.6K

9.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.8K CHF 12.1K

$12.6K CHF 10.2K

18.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,405 CHF 6,020

$6,920 CHF 5,626

7.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

1.72

41.28%

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

Last update for Basel: August 30, 2026

Last update for Uster: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,095 in Basel and $1,834 in Uster. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $128 in Basel vs $125 in Uster. Groceries flip the comparison at $598 vs $639, with Basel cheaper for home cooking.

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

Average pay runs 7% 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: $2,095 in Basel versus $1,834 in Uster. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,055 in Basel versus $1,851 in Uster. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Uster. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 $3,566 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 4% less than in Uster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.