Cost of Living Comparison Between Chur and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Chur and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,301 in Chur versus $3,610 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,228 in Chur versus $5,659 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,154 in Chur versus $7,707 in Basel.

Living in Chur costs roughly 9% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chur 141% above, Basel 164% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.92 CHF 24.69

$30.86 CHF 25.48

-3.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 CHF 92.2

$126 CHF 104

-10.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.71 CHF 13.79

$18.50 CHF 15.27

-9.68%

Cappuccino

$5.93 CHF 4.90

$6.72 CHF 5.54

-11.76%

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

$5.61 CHF 4.63

$6.38 CHF 5.27

-12.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 4.14

$5.80 CHF 4.79

-13.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.64 CHF 7.13

$9.60 CHF 7.93

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.55 CHF 7.06

$9.74 CHF 8.04

-12.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.77

$2.25 CHF 1.86

-4.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 CHF 2.83

$3.02 CHF 2.49

13.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.40 CHF 3.64

$3.34 CHF 2.76

31.74%

Eggs

$7.88 CHF 6.51

$8.26 CHF 6.82

-4.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.67 CHF 22.01

$26.04 CHF 21.50

2.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.03 CHF 21.48

$27.62 CHF 22.80

-5.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.46 CHF 33.40

$41.64 CHF 34.37

-2.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.93

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.78

$2.27 CHF 1.87

-4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 CHF 2.17

$2.95 CHF 2.43

-10.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 CHF 4.02

$4.63 CHF 3.82

5.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 CHF 1.58

$1.77 CHF 1.46

7.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.85

$2.00 CHF 1.65

12.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 CHF 1.94

$2.19 CHF 1.81

7.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 CHF 1.19

$1.59 CHF 1.31

-8.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.89 CHF 8.99

$11.43 CHF 9.43

-4.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.96 CHF 10.70

$12.12 CHF 10.00

6.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 CHF 1.80

$2.52 CHF 2.08

-13.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 CHF 2.31

$3.03 CHF 2.50

-7.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.26 CHF 4.34

$4.57 CHF 3.77

15.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$189 CHF 156

$106 CHF 87.6

78.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.51 CHF 6.20

$7.90 CHF 6.52

-4.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.79 CHF 3.96

$4.58 CHF 3.78

4.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.0 CHF 71.8

$86.3 CHF 71.3

0.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.77

$2.26 CHF 1.87

-5.31%

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

$41.3K CHF 34.1K

$43.2K CHF 35.6K

-4.30%

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

$37.7K CHF 31.2K

$40.5K CHF 33.4K

-6.83%

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

$235 CHF 194

$295 CHF 244

-20.27%

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

$32.12 CHF 26.51

$53.7 CHF 44.36

-40.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 CHF 46.04

$64.2 CHF 53.0

-13.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.7 CHF 67.4

$84.3 CHF 69.5

-3.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.93 CHF 28.00

$57.7 CHF 47.61

-41.18%

Cinema Ticket

$21.72 CHF 17.93

$23.28 CHF 19.21

-6.70%

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

$2,406 CHF 1,986

$3,047 CHF 2,515

-21.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.4K CHF 36.6K

$33.3K CHF 27.5K

33.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 CHF 76.1

$145 CHF 120

-36.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.64 CHF 40.15

$80.2 CHF 66.2

-39.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 CHF 99.4

$161 CHF 133

-25.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 CHF 141

$199 CHF 164

-13.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 CHF 1,430

$2,093 CHF 1,728

-17.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,389 CHF 1,146

$1,538 CHF 1,269

-9.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 CHF 2,492

$3,533 CHF 2,917

-14.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,606 CHF 2,151

$2,820 CHF 2,328

-7.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,467 CHF 6,164

$18.2K CHF 15.1K

-59.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,587 CHF 4,612

$14.7K CHF 12.1K

-62.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,407 CHF 6,939

$7,077 CHF 5,841

18.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

2.43

-29.22%

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

Last update for Chur: September 13, 2026

Last update for Basel: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,732 in Chur and $2,093 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chur pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $112 in Chur vs $126 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $581 vs $587 per month, with Chur 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

Chur vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chur wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chur the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Chur, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,732 in Chur versus $2,093 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,406 in Chur versus $3,047 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Chur 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 Chur delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,301 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chur hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chur 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 Chur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.