Cost of Living Comparison Between Interlaken and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Interlaken and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,045 in Interlaken versus $3,566 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,222 in Interlaken versus $5,581 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,399 in Interlaken versus $7,595 in Basel.

Living in Interlaken is roughly 13% more expensive than in Basel, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Interlaken 194% above, Basel 160% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.88 CHF 24.94

$29.61 CHF 23.91

4.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.0 CHF 79.1

$128 CHF 103

-23.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.46 CHF 14.90

$18.47 CHF 14.91

-0.05%

Cappuccino

$5.42 CHF 4.37

$6.76 CHF 5.46

-19.82%

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

$5.44 CHF 4.40

$6.33 CHF 5.11

-14.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 CHF 2.95

$6.15 CHF 4.97

-40.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 CHF 6.63

$8.91 CHF 7.19

-7.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 CHF 4.54

$9.93 CHF 8.02

-43.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 CHF 1.37

$2.34 CHF 1.89

-27.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 CHF 2.92

$3.22 CHF 2.60

12.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.79 CHF 3.87

$3.36 CHF 2.71

42.56%

Eggs

$7.71 CHF 6.23

$8.03 CHF 6.48

-3.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.60 CHF 25.52

$26.94 CHF 21.75

17.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$30.12 CHF 24.32

$27.83 CHF 22.47

8.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.77 CHF 35.34

$41.82 CHF 33.77

4.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 CHF 3.27

$3.60 CHF 2.91

12.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 CHF 1.33

$2.35 CHF 1.90

-29.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 CHF 2.27

$3.12 CHF 2.52

-9.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.14 CHF 2.54

$4.84 CHF 3.91

-35.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 CHF 1.08

$1.73 CHF 1.39

-22.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CHF 1.43

$2.07 CHF 1.67

-14.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$2.33 CHF 1.88

-3.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 CHF 0.99

$1.63 CHF 1.32

-24.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.34 CHF 9.15

$11.39 CHF 9.20

-0.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.27 CHF 10.72

$12.41 CHF 10.02

6.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CHF 1.84

$2.62 CHF 2.12

-13.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 CHF 3.23

$3.21 CHF 2.59

24.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.27 CHF 3.45

$4.60 CHF 3.72

-7.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$202 CHF 163

$108 CHF 87.6

86.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.23 CHF 5.03

$8.16 CHF 6.59

-23.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$6.13 CHF 4.95

$4.67 CHF 3.77

31.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.4 CHF 49.60

$85.9 CHF 69.3

-28.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.76

$2.27 CHF 1.84

-3.96%

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

$43.2K CHF 34.9K

$43.8K CHF 35.4K

-1.49%

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

$39.5K CHF 31.9K

$39.8K CHF 32.1K

-0.85%

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

$371 CHF 299

$304 CHF 245

21.97%

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

$31.64 CHF 25.55

$54.2 CHF 43.75

-41.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.5 CHF 61.0

$64.7 CHF 52.2

16.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.0 CHF 78.4

$83.3 CHF 67.3

16.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.5 CHF 47.24

Cinema Ticket

$28.73 CHF 23.20

$23.78 CHF 19.21

20.82%

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

$3,768 CHF 3,043

$3,055 CHF 2,467

23.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 26.9K

$32.6K CHF 26.3K

2.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$159 CHF 128

$147 CHF 119

7.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$124 CHF 100

$81.7 CHF 66.0

52.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$202 CHF 163

$166 CHF 134

21.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$328 CHF 265

$206 CHF 166

59.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,979 CHF 1,598

$2,095 CHF 1,691

-5.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 CHF 1,301

$1,529 CHF 1,235

5.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,404 CHF 2,749

$3,547 CHF 2,864

-4.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,502 CHF 2,828

$2,865 CHF 2,313

22.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 9,885

$18.2K CHF 14.7K

-32.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,576 CHF 6,925

$14.8K CHF 12.0K

-42.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,651 CHF 6,178

$7,405 CHF 5,979

3.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.48

2.43

2.06%

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

Last update for Interlaken: August 30, 2026

Last update for Basel: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,979 in Interlaken and $2,095 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Interlaken pays 3% 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: $98.0 in Interlaken vs $128 in Basel. Groceries flip the comparison at $614 vs $598, with Basel cheaper for home cooking.

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

Interlaken vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Basel wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Interlaken. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Basel the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Interlaken, 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: $1,979 in Interlaken versus $2,095 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,768 in Interlaken 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 3% higher in Interlaken. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Basel 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 Basel delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,566 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Basel hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Interlaken 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 Basel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Interlaken. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.