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: $3,159 in Chur versus $3,662 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,102 in Chur versus $5,770 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,046 in Chur versus $7,878 in Basel.

Living in Chur costs roughly 14% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chur 137% above, Basel 175% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.41 CHF 24.12

$30.78 CHF 24.41

-1.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.1 CHF 78.6

$151 CHF 120

-34.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.95 CHF 12.65

$20.10 CHF 15.94

-20.65%

Cappuccino

$5.65 CHF 4.48

$7.02 CHF 5.57

-19.52%

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

$4.33 CHF 3.44

$5.74 CHF 4.55

-24.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 CHF 3.33

$5.23 CHF 4.15

-19.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.46 CHF 5.92

$10.01 CHF 7.94

-25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 CHF 5.87

$7.43 CHF 5.89

-0.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.81

$2.16 CHF 1.71

5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 CHF 2.90

$3.73 CHF 2.96

-1.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 CHF 3.24

$4.90 CHF 3.89

-16.73%

Eggs

$7.56 CHF 6.00

$7.76 CHF 6.15

-2.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.50 CHF 23.39

$28.65 CHF 22.72

2.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$34.84 CHF 27.63

$37.21 CHF 29.51

-6.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.43 CHF 28.10

$44.04 CHF 34.93

-19.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 CHF 2.98

$3.90 CHF 3.10

-3.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.85

$2.65 CHF 2.10

-11.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 2.01

$4.05 CHF 3.21

-37.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.67 CHF 4.50

$7.08 CHF 5.62

-19.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 CHF 1.36

$3.29 CHF 2.61

-47.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 CHF 1.76

$2.96 CHF 2.34

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CHF 1.80

$2.52 CHF 2.00

-9.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 CHF 0.96

$1.55 CHF 1.23

-21.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.61 CHF 8.41

$11.89 CHF 9.43

-10.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.53 CHF 10.73

$13.93 CHF 11.05

-2.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CHF 1.98

$2.42 CHF 1.92

3.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 CHF 2.63

$3.06 CHF 2.43

8.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.29 CHF 4.20

$4.77 CHF 3.79

10.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$189 CHF 150

$105 CHF 83.0

80.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.34

$7.85 CHF 6.22

1.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.16 CHF 3.30

$4.28 CHF 3.39

-2.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.4 CHF 48.70

$85.9 CHF 68.1

-28.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.69

$2.24 CHF 1.77

-4.91%

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

$39.2K CHF 31.1K

$40.4K CHF 32.1K

-3.09%

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

$37.6K CHF 29.8K

$45.6K CHF 36.2K

-17.57%

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

$243 CHF 192

$302 CHF 240

-19.73%

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

$24.83 CHF 19.69

$53.5 CHF 42.47

-53.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 CHF 39.65

$58.8 CHF 46.62

-14.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.7 CHF 67.2

$91.0 CHF 72.2

-6.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.51 CHF 28.95

$42.16 CHF 33.44

-13.40%

Cinema Ticket

$22.51 CHF 17.85

$22.71 CHF 18.01

-0.88%

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

$2,415 CHF 1,915

$2,604 CHF 2,065

-7.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.9K CHF 34.0K

$34.6K CHF 27.5K

23.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 CHF 112

$133 CHF 105

5.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.35 CHF 28.83

$89.7 CHF 71.1

-59.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 CHF 107

$180 CHF 142

-25.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 CHF 129

$231 CHF 183

-29.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 CHF 1,178

$2,070 CHF 1,642

-28.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 CHF 907

$1,499 CHF 1,189

-23.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,869 CHF 2,275

$3,839 CHF 3,045

-25.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 CHF 2,004

$2,849 CHF 2,260

-11.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.0K CHF 7,952

$20.1K CHF 15.9K

-50.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,140 CHF 5,663

$15.1K CHF 12.0K

-52.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,149 CHF 5,670

$8,059 CHF 6,392

-11.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

-21.57%

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

Last update for Chur: June 16, 2026

Last update for Basel: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,486 in Chur and $2,070 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 13% 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: $99.0 in Chur vs $151 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $626 vs $691 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 16% 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.

On paper, Basel earns 13% 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: $1,486 in Chur versus $2,070 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,415 in Chur versus $2,604 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% 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 $3,159 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 16% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.