Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bern and Basel

For one person, living is cheaper in Bern: $3,524 a month against $3,669 in Basel, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

171

Cost of Living Index in Bern
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Bern Living Index
176

Cost of Living Index in Basel
Learn more

Basel Living Index

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Bern

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,524

/mo nomad

Basel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,669

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bern and in Basel

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,524 in Bern versus $3,669 in Basel.

Bern $3,524
Basel $3,669

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,348 in Bern versus $5,649 in Basel.

Bern $5,348
Basel $5,649

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,171 in Bern versus $7,629 in Basel.

Bern $7,171
Basel $7,629

Living in Bern costs roughly 4% less than in Basel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bern 159% above, Basel 170% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.73 CHF 23.79

$30.27 CHF 25.06

-5.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 CHF 102

$125 CHF 103

-1.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.88 CHF 13.15

$17.91 CHF 14.83

-11.33%

Cappuccino

$6.89 CHF 5.71

$6.52 CHF 5.40

5.67%

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

$6.13 CHF 5.08

$6.47 CHF 5.36

-5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 CHF 5.76

$5.91 CHF 4.89

17.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.11 CHF 7.54

$9.41 CHF 7.79

-3.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.06 CHF 6.67

$9.48 CHF 7.85

-14.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.83

$2.29 CHF 1.89

-3.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 CHF 2.42

$3.04 CHF 2.52

-3.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.62

$3.27 CHF 2.71

-3.06%

Eggs

$7.70 CHF 6.38

$7.97 CHF 6.60

-3.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.56 CHF 20.33

$26.34 CHF 21.81

-6.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.33 CHF 24.29

$27.32 CHF 22.62

7.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.43 CHF 31.82

$41.15 CHF 34.07

-6.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 CHF 3.15

$3.70 CHF 3.06

2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 CHF 1.66

$2.30 CHF 1.91

-12.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.15

$3.03 CHF 2.51

-14.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 CHF 3.82

$4.54 CHF 3.76

1.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 CHF 1.37

$1.68 CHF 1.39

-1.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 CHF 1.69

$1.91 CHF 1.58

7.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 CHF 1.83

$2.27 CHF 1.88

-2.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CHF 1.06

$1.60 CHF 1.32

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.13 CHF 9.22

$11.15 CHF 9.23

-0.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.91 CHF 9.86

$11.90 CHF 9.85

0.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 CHF 1.90

$2.44 CHF 2.02

-6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 CHF 2.50

$3.03 CHF 2.51

-0.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.35 CHF 5.25

$5.21 CHF 4.32

21.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.9 CHF 81.0

$105 CHF 86.7

-6.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.61

$7.98 CHF 6.61

0.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.66 CHF 3.86

$4.61 CHF 3.82

1.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$110 CHF 91.2

$83.3 CHF 68.9

32.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 CHF 1.95

$2.42 CHF 2.00

-2.48%

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

$38.5K CHF 31.9K

$38.3K CHF 31.7K

0.51%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.8K

$40.0K CHF 33.1K

-0.96%

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

$272 CHF 225

$296 CHF 245

-8.02%

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

$28.10 CHF 23.26

$46.31 CHF 38.34

-39.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.0 CHF 44.73

$63.2 CHF 52.3

-14.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.2 CHF 70.5

$82.0 CHF 67.9

3.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.65 CHF 39.45

$58.3 CHF 48.24

-18.21%

Cinema Ticket

$25.53 CHF 21.14

$22.84 CHF 18.91

11.78%

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

$3,123 CHF 2,586

$3,139 CHF 2,599

-0.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K CHF 25.3K

$32.6K CHF 27.0K

-6.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$144 CHF 119

$144 CHF 120

-0.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 CHF 50.8

$79.9 CHF 66.1

-23.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$155 CHF 129

$159 CHF 132

-2.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 164

$195 CHF 162

1.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CHF 1,741

$2,087 CHF 1,728

0.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 CHF 1,312

$1,646 CHF 1,363

-3.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,558 CHF 2,946

$3,618 CHF 2,995

-1.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CHF 2,210

$2,966 CHF 2,456

-9.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 15.1K

$17.5K CHF 14.5K

4.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.0K CHF 11.6K

$13.7K CHF 11.4K

2.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,701 CHF 5,548

$7,080 CHF 5,862

-5.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.46

2.42

1.65%

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

Last update for Bern: October 25, 2026

Last update for Basel: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bern

$1.6K 45%

Basel

$1.6K 44.9% 3.9% $62

Groceries & Markets

Bern

$570 16.2%

Basel

$584 15.9% 2.5% $14

Eating Out

Bern

$474 13.5%

Basel

$490 13.3% 3.2% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bern

$354 10%

Basel

$405 11% 14.4% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Bern

$251 7.1%

Basel

$261 7.1% 3.7% $9.3

Getting Around

Bern

$155 4.4%

Basel

$157 4.3% 1.4% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Bern

$136 3.9%

Basel

$128 3.5% 6.3% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,102 in Bern and $2,087 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 6% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $123 in Bern vs $125 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $570 vs $584 per month, with Bern cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Bern

🇨🇭 Basel

🕒 Local time

08:31 8:31 AM

Same time as Bern

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

128,848 Capital

174,491

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Bern Basel 69 km

From you

Bern
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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 4% 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 5% lower in Bern. 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: $2,102 in Bern versus $2,087 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,524 per month in Bern versus $3,669 in Basel – Bern is about 4% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Bern runs roughly 7% less than in Basel. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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 cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bern and Basel are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Bern wins on affordability, Basel on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.