Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bellinzona and Sion

For one person, living is cheaper in Sion: $3,235 a month against $3,509 in Bellinzona, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Bellinzona
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,509
/mo nomad
Sion
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,235
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bellinzona and in Sion

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

A single person spends $3,509 per month in Bellinzona vs $3,235 in Sion, rent included.

  • Bellinzona $3,509
  • Sion $3,235

A couple spends around $5,423 per month in Bellinzona vs $4,857 in Sion, rent included.

  • Bellinzona $5,423
  • Sion $4,857

A family of three spends $7,337 per month in Bellinzona vs $6,479 in Sion, rent included.

  • Bellinzona $7,337
  • Sion $6,479

Bellinzona costs about 8% more than Sion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bellinzona and Sion sit above the global median – Bellinzona by 160%, Sion by 140%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bellinzona
Sion
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$34.40 CHF 28.33
$28.97 CHF 23.86
18.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$120 CHF 98.7
$89.6 CHF 73.8
33.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$17.66 CHF 14.54
$19.15 CHF 15.77
-7.78%
Cappuccino
$4.85 CHF 4.00
$4.60 CHF 3.79
5.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.55 CHF 4.57
$5.09 CHF 4.19
9.04%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 CHF 3.64
$4.28 CHF 3.52
3.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.51 CHF 7.83
$7.36 CHF 6.06
29.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.68 CHF 5.50
$7.29 CHF 6.00
-8.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bellinzona
Sion
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.23 CHF 1.83
$1.94 CHF 1.60
14.95%
White Bread (500g)
$4.18 CHF 3.44
$3.54 CHF 2.92
18.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.11 CHF 3.38
$4.19 CHF 3.45
-1.91%
Eggs
$7.89 CHF 6.50
$7.13 CHF 5.87
10.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$27.08 CHF 22.30
$26.01 CHF 21.42
4.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$30.85 CHF 25.41
$22.69 CHF 18.69
35.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$41.72 CHF 34.36
$40.09 CHF 33.02
4.07%
Apples (1kg)
$3.64 CHF 3.00
$3.15 CHF 2.59
15.56%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 CHF 1.66
$1.70 CHF 1.40
18.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 CHF 2.23
$2.53 CHF 2.09
6.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.45 CHF 5.31
$6.20 CHF 5.11
4.03%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 CHF 1.62
$1.85 CHF 1.53
6.49%
Onion (1kg)
$2.09 CHF 1.72
$2.16 CHF 1.78
-3.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.45 CHF 2.02
$2.43 CHF 2.00
0.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 CHF 1.06
$1.17 CHF 0.97
9.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.61 CHF 8.74
$10.85 CHF 8.94
-2.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.75 CHF 14.62
$14.25 CHF 11.74
24.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.87 CHF 2.36
$1.76 CHF 1.45
63.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.92 CHF 3.22
$1.91 CHF 1.57
105.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Bellinzona
Sion
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.78 CHF 2.29
$5.24 CHF 4.32
-46.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$121 CHF 99.7
$179 CHF 148
-32.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.24 CHF 5.97
$5.94 CHF 4.89
21.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$5.67 CHF 4.67
$5.29 CHF 4.36
7.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.42 CHF 30.00
$48.12 CHF 39.63
-24.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.29 CHF 1.89
$2.21 CHF 1.82
3.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.1K CHF 28.9K
$34.2K CHF 28.2K
2.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.1K CHF 32.2K
$37.6K CHF 31.0K
4.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bellinzona
Sion
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$300 CHF 247
$308 CHF 254
-2.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.26 CHF 29.04
$24.86 CHF 20.48
41.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$62.5 CHF 51.4
$49.64 CHF 40.89
25.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bellinzona
Sion
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$143 CHF 117
$135 CHF 111
5.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$54.2 CHF 44.66
$54.5 CHF 44.88
-0.48%
Cinema Ticket
$23.18 CHF 19.09
$20.28 CHF 16.70
14.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bellinzona
Sion
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,198 CHF 2,634
$953 CHF 785
235.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$34.8K CHF 28.7K
$37.7K CHF 31.1K
-7.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bellinzona
Sion
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$200 CHF 165
$109 CHF 89.7
83.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.63 CHF 40.05
$48.21 CHF 39.71
0.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$164 CHF 135
$161 CHF 133
2.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$165 CHF 136
$165 CHF 136
0.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bellinzona
Sion
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,569 CHF 1,292
$1,221 CHF 1,005
28.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,368 CHF 1,127
$1,240 CHF 1,021
10.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,485 CHF 2,047
$2,323 CHF 1,913
7.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,459 CHF 2,025
$2,072 CHF 1,707
18.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.2K CHF 10.9K
$7,339 CHF 6,045
80.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$10.3K CHF 8,443
$5,532 CHF 4,556
85.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bellinzona
Sion
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,494 CHF 5,349
$5,826 CHF 4,798
11.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.23
2.15
3.72%

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

Last update for Bellinzona: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sion: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bellinzona
$1.4K
Sion
$1.2K 9.4% $128
Groceries & Markets
Bellinzona
$639
Sion
$554 13.3% $85
Eating Out
Bellinzona
$487
Sion
$433 11.1% $54
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bellinzona
$398
Sion
$383 3.8% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Bellinzona
$260
Sion
$217 16.5% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Bellinzona
$189
Sion
$175 7.2% $14
Getting Around
Bellinzona
$168
Sion
$233 38.8% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,569 in Bellinzona versus $1,221 in Sion. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Bellinzona, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in Bellinzona versus $90.0 in Sion. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $639 vs $554 – making Sion the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇭 Bellinzona
🇨🇭 Sion
🕒 Local time
06:16 6:16 AM
06:16 6:16 AM
Same time as Bellinzona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
43,785
34,599
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bellinzona Sion 130 km
From you
  • Bellinzona
  • Sion

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
Bellinzona vs Sion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Bellinzona and in Sion compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,509 in Bellinzona, $3,235 in Sion – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Bellinzona compared to Sion?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,264 per month in Bellinzona and $4,853 in Sion. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Bellinzona and Sion?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sion, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Bellinzona or Sion?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,509 in Bellinzona and $3,235 in Sion. That's a gap of about 8%.
How do commuting costs compare in Bellinzona and in Sion?
Public transport costs about 48% less in Sion. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is feasible on a $2,000 budget?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,509 in Bellinzona and $3,235 in Sion. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Where should families live: Bellinzona or Sion?
Families tend to lean toward Sion – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Bellinzona or Sion safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Bellinzona and Sion?
If budget matters most, go with Sion. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bellinzona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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