Cost of Living Comparison Between Bern and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Bern and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,430 in Bern versus $3,653 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,248 in Bern versus $5,857 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,066 in Bern versus $8,062 in Basel.

Living in Bern costs roughly 6% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bern 156% above, Basel 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.70 CHF 21.86

$30.72 CHF 24.24

-9.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 CHF 84.6

$156 CHF 123

-31.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.47 CHF 13.79

$19.37 CHF 15.28

-9.81%

Cappuccino

$5.86 CHF 4.63

$6.75 CHF 5.33

-13.19%

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

$4.83 CHF 3.81

$5.67 CHF 4.47

-14.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 CHF 3.66

$5.02 CHF 3.96

-7.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.38 CHF 6.62

$10.09 CHF 7.96

-16.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 CHF 4.94

$7.45 CHF 5.88

-15.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.75

$2.24 CHF 1.77

-0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 CHF 2.58

$3.73 CHF 2.95

-12.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.27

$4.99 CHF 3.94

-16.83%

Eggs

$7.10 CHF 5.60

$8.16 CHF 6.44

-12.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.95 CHF 22.06

$28.67 CHF 22.62

-2.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.50 CHF 28.01

$35.93 CHF 28.36

-1.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.05 CHF 32.39

$43.12 CHF 34.03

-4.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.80

$3.98 CHF 3.14

-10.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 CHF 1.74

$2.60 CHF 2.05

-15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.16

$4.24 CHF 3.35

-35.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.51

$6.96 CHF 5.49

0.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$3.23 CHF 2.55

-30.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$2.94 CHF 2.32

-26.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 CHF 1.91

$2.51 CHF 1.98

-3.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 CHF 0.90

$1.55 CHF 1.22

-26.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.39 CHF 8.99

$11.68 CHF 9.22

-2.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.80 CHF 10.10

$13.81 CHF 10.90

-7.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CHF 1.55

$2.39 CHF 1.89

-17.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$3.16 CHF 2.49

-25.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.59 CHF 2.83

$4.58 CHF 3.61

-21.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 CHF 78.1

$105 CHF 82.5

-5.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.86 CHF 6.20

$7.99 CHF 6.31

-1.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.47 CHF 3.52

$4.31 CHF 3.40

3.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$90.9 CHF 71.7

$87.2 CHF 68.8

4.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.69

$2.23 CHF 1.76

-4.04%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.0K

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

0.42%

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

$56.6K CHF 44.7K

$44.3K CHF 35.0K

27.78%

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

$367 CHF 290

$306 CHF 242

19.84%

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

$59.9 CHF 47.27

$53.5 CHF 42.24

11.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 CHF 46.55

$58.9 CHF 46.44

0.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.5 CHF 65.1

$90.3 CHF 71.2

-8.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.41 CHF 37.42

$42.50 CHF 33.54

11.55%

Cinema Ticket

$24.55 CHF 19.38

$22.72 CHF 17.93

8.05%

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

$3,417 CHF 2,697

$2,574 CHF 2,031

32.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.8K CHF 31.4K

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

17.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 CHF 118

$134 CHF 105

11.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.9 CHF 53.6

$88.3 CHF 69.7

-23.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$177 CHF 140

$181 CHF 143

-2.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 CHF 147

$227 CHF 179

-17.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,853 CHF 1,463

$2,112 CHF 1,666

-12.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 CHF 997

$1,519 CHF 1,199

-16.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,301 CHF 2,606

$3,828 CHF 3,021

-13.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,367 CHF 1,868

$2,802 CHF 2,211

-15.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 12.8K

$19.1K CHF 15.1K

-14.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.8K CHF 10.1K

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

-9.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,193 CHF 5,676

$8,292 CHF 6,544

-13.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.52

2.55

-1.18%

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

Last update for Bern: May 31, 2026

Last update for Basel: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,853 in Bern and $2,112 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 15% 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: $107 in Bern vs $156 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $636 vs $685 per month, with Bern 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

Bern vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bern wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bern the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Basel earns 15% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,853 in Bern versus $2,112 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,417 in Bern versus $2,574 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% 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. Bern 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 Bern delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,430 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bern hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bern and Basel 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 Bern gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.