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: $3,409 in Bern versus $3,606 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,182 in Bern versus $5,819 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,955 in Bern versus $8,033 in Basel.

Living in Bern costs roughly 5% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bern 155% above, Basel 170% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.49 CHF 23.08

$31.16 CHF 25.24

-8.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 CHF 87.4

$154 CHF 125

-29.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.15 CHF 13.89

$19.41 CHF 15.72

-11.64%

Cappuccino

$5.75 CHF 4.65

$6.73 CHF 5.45

-14.56%

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

$4.76 CHF 3.85

$5.46 CHF 4.43

-12.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 CHF 3.87

$5.21 CHF 4.22

-8.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 CHF 6.62

$9.65 CHF 7.82

-15.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.21 CHF 5.03

$7.31 CHF 5.92

-15.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.80

$2.21 CHF 1.79

0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 CHF 2.69

$3.87 CHF 3.14

-13.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.26 CHF 3.45

$5.19 CHF 4.20

-17.92%

Eggs

$7.09 CHF 5.74

$7.82 CHF 6.34

-9.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 23.22

$28.51 CHF 23.09

0.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.86 CHF 29.04

$36.76 CHF 29.78

-2.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.00 CHF 33.21

$44.22 CHF 35.82

-7.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 CHF 2.73

$3.91 CHF 3.16

-13.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$2.74 CHF 2.22

-18.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 CHF 2.23

$4.18 CHF 3.38

-33.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.87 CHF 5.56

$6.99 CHF 5.66

-1.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 CHF 1.76

$3.26 CHF 2.64

-33.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 CHF 1.73

$2.98 CHF 2.41

-28.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CHF 1.97

$2.52 CHF 2.04

-3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CHF 0.93

$1.49 CHF 1.21

-22.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.52 CHF 9.33

$11.83 CHF 9.58

-2.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 CHF 9.88

$13.68 CHF 11.08

-10.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CHF 1.59

$2.42 CHF 1.96

-19.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 CHF 1.85

$3.04 CHF 2.46

-25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 CHF 3.03

$4.76 CHF 3.86

-21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.5 CHF 79.8

$105 CHF 85.1

-6.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.04 CHF 6.51

$7.92 CHF 6.42

1.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.44 CHF 3.60

$4.36 CHF 3.53

1.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$91.5 CHF 74.1

$87.4 CHF 70.8

4.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.79

$2.20 CHF 1.78

0.91%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.3K

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

0.76%

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

$58.3K CHF 47.2K

$45.1K CHF 36.6K

29.17%

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

$367 CHF 297

$302 CHF 245

21.45%

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

$58.3 CHF 47.24

$54.0 CHF 43.74

8.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 CHF 47.04

$58.9 CHF 47.69

-1.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.1 CHF 65.7

$90.9 CHF 73.6

-10.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.39 CHF 37.58

$41.38 CHF 33.52

12.11%

Cinema Ticket

$24.71 CHF 20.02

$23.17 CHF 18.77

6.65%

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

$3,315 CHF 2,685

$2,533 CHF 2,052

30.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.1K CHF 32.5K

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

18.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$154 CHF 125

$135 CHF 110

13.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.1 CHF 56.0

$87.6 CHF 71.0

-21.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 141

$180 CHF 146

-3.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 CHF 153

$230 CHF 186

-17.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 CHF 1,516

$2,103 CHF 1,704

-11.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 CHF 1,040

$1,511 CHF 1,224

-15.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,197 CHF 2,589

$3,742 CHF 3,031

-14.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,412 CHF 1,954

$2,829 CHF 2,292

-14.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.2K CHF 15.5K

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

2.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.4K CHF 12.4K

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

5.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,080 CHF 5,735

$7,175 CHF 5,812

-1.32%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Basel: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,871 in Bern and $2,103 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 1% 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: $108 in Bern vs $154 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $638 vs $692 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, salaries run 1% lower in Basel. 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: $1,871 in Bern versus $2,103 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,315 in Bern versus $2,533 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 $3,409 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.