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: $3,477 in Bern versus $3,566 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,394 in Bern versus $5,581 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,311 in Bern versus $7,595 in Basel.

Living in Bern costs roughly 2% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bern 153% above, Basel 160% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.98 CHF 23.44

$29.61 CHF 23.95

-2.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 102

$128 CHF 103

-1.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.17 CHF 13.08

$18.47 CHF 14.94

-12.45%

Cappuccino

$7.01 CHF 5.67

$6.76 CHF 5.47

3.70%

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

$6.23 CHF 5.04

$6.33 CHF 5.12

-1.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 CHF 5.69

$6.15 CHF 4.98

14.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.48 CHF 7.67

$8.91 CHF 7.21

6.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 CHF 6.62

$9.93 CHF 8.03

-17.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.82

$2.34 CHF 1.90

-3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 CHF 2.40

$3.22 CHF 2.60

-7.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 CHF 2.63

$3.36 CHF 2.72

-3.27%

Eggs

$8.08 CHF 6.54

$8.03 CHF 6.50

0.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.49 CHF 19.81

$26.94 CHF 21.79

-9.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.84 CHF 24.14

$27.83 CHF 22.51

7.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.30 CHF 32.60

$41.82 CHF 33.83

-3.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CHF 3.20

$3.60 CHF 2.91

9.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.65

$2.35 CHF 1.90

-13.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 CHF 2.25

$3.12 CHF 2.53

-10.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 CHF 3.89

$4.84 CHF 3.91

-0.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 CHF 1.39

$1.73 CHF 1.40

-0.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.70

$2.07 CHF 1.67

1.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CHF 1.84

$2.33 CHF 1.88

-2.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 CHF 1.08

$1.63 CHF 1.32

-17.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CHF 9.41

$11.39 CHF 9.21

2.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.52 CHF 10.13

$12.41 CHF 10.04

0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 CHF 1.88

$2.62 CHF 2.12

-11.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 CHF 2.49

$3.21 CHF 2.60

-4.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.37 CHF 5.15

$4.60 CHF 3.72

38.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 CHF 81.7

$108 CHF 87.7

-6.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 CHF 6.73

$8.16 CHF 6.60

1.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.71 CHF 3.81

$4.67 CHF 3.78

0.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$110 CHF 88.7

$85.9 CHF 69.5

27.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.83

$2.27 CHF 1.84

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

$43.9K CHF 35.5K

$43.8K CHF 35.5K

0.12%

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

$39.4K CHF 31.9K

$39.8K CHF 32.2K

-0.98%

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

$279 CHF 225

$304 CHF 246

-8.32%

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

$28.97 CHF 23.43

$54.2 CHF 43.83

-46.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.3 CHF 44.75

$64.7 CHF 52.3

-14.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.1 CHF 74.5

$83.3 CHF 67.4

10.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.53 CHF 38.45

$58.5 CHF 47.33

-18.75%

Cinema Ticket

$25.08 CHF 20.29

$23.78 CHF 19.24

5.47%

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

$3,158 CHF 2,555

$3,055 CHF 2,472

3.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K CHF 25.8K

$32.6K CHF 26.4K

-2.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 119

-0.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.5 CHF 51.4

$81.7 CHF 66.1

-22.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 129

$166 CHF 135

-4.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 160

$206 CHF 167

-3.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,890 CHF 1,529

$2,095 CHF 1,695

-9.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 CHF 1,160

$1,529 CHF 1,237

-6.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,564 CHF 2,884

$3,547 CHF 2,870

0.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,539 CHF 2,054

$2,865 CHF 2,318

-11.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.2K CHF 15.5K

$18.2K CHF 14.8K

5.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.4K CHF 12.4K

$14.8K CHF 12.0K

3.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,921 CHF 5,599

$7,405 CHF 5,990

-6.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.46

2.43

1.23%

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

Last update for Bern: September 1, 2026

Last update for Basel: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,890 in Bern and $2,095 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 7% 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: $126 in Bern vs $128 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $586 vs $598 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 3% 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 7% 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: $1,890 in Bern versus $2,095 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,158 in Bern versus $3,055 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% 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 $3,477 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 3% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.