Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreux and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreux and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,490 in Montreux versus $3,566 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,372 in Montreux versus $5,581 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,254 in Montreux versus $7,595 in Basel.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreux 154% above, Basel 160% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.64 CHF 25.72

$29.61 CHF 24.07

6.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 CHF 113

$128 CHF 104

8.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.45 CHF 15.00

$18.47 CHF 15.01

-0.11%

Cappuccino

$6.08 CHF 4.95

$6.76 CHF 5.50

-10.06%

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

$5.21 CHF 4.24

$6.33 CHF 5.14

-17.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 CHF 3.43

$6.15 CHF 5.00

-31.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.10 CHF 8.21

$8.91 CHF 7.24

13.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.13 CHF 8.23

$9.93 CHF 8.07

2.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.82

$2.34 CHF 1.90

-4.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 CHF 2.46

$3.22 CHF 2.61

-5.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.65

$3.36 CHF 2.73

-2.98%

Eggs

$7.08 CHF 5.75

$8.03 CHF 6.53

-11.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.31 CHF 20.58

$26.94 CHF 21.90

-6.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.79 CHF 23.40

$27.83 CHF 22.63

3.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.42 CHF 32.86

$41.82 CHF 34.00

-3.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CHF 3.04

$3.60 CHF 2.93

3.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 CHF 1.43

$2.35 CHF 1.91

-25.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 CHF 2.17

$3.12 CHF 2.54

-14.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 CHF 3.85

$4.84 CHF 3.93

-2.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 CHF 1.52

$1.73 CHF 1.40

8.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 CHF 1.63

$2.07 CHF 1.68

-2.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 CHF 1.74

$2.33 CHF 1.89

-8.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 CHF 1.50

$1.63 CHF 1.33

13.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.39 CHF 9.26

Wine (Bottle)

$12.49 CHF 10.16

$12.41 CHF 10.09

0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 CHF 2.32

$2.62 CHF 2.13

9.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 CHF 2.72

$3.21 CHF 2.61

4.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.32 CHF 3.51

$4.60 CHF 3.74

-6.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 CHF 84.6

$108 CHF 88.2

-4.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.94 CHF 6.45

$8.16 CHF 6.63

-2.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.10 CHF 3.33

$4.67 CHF 3.80

-12.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.7 CHF 52.6

$85.9 CHF 69.8

-24.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.87

$2.27 CHF 1.85

1.32%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.3K

$43.8K CHF 35.6K

-9.47%

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

$41.0K CHF 33.3K

$39.8K CHF 32.4K

3.06%

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

$292 CHF 238

$304 CHF 247

-3.75%

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

$37.14 CHF 30.19

$54.2 CHF 44.05

-31.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 CHF 41.85

$64.7 CHF 52.6

-20.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.2 CHF 75.8

$83.3 CHF 67.7

11.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.83 CHF 38.89

$58.5 CHF 47.56

-18.24%

Cinema Ticket

$24.60 CHF 20.00

$23.78 CHF 19.34

3.45%

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

$2,425 CHF 1,972

$3,055 CHF 2,484

-20.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K CHF 30.0K

$32.6K CHF 26.5K

13.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 112

$147 CHF 120

-6.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.0 CHF 64.3

$81.7 CHF 66.4

-3.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$172 CHF 140

$166 CHF 135

3.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$195 CHF 158

$206 CHF 167

-5.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 CHF 1,500

$2,095 CHF 1,703

-11.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 CHF 1,227

$1,529 CHF 1,243

-1.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,890 CHF 2,350

$3,547 CHF 2,884

-18.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 CHF 2,035

$2,865 CHF 2,329

-12.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 13.3K

$18.2K CHF 14.8K

-10.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 10.1K

$14.8K CHF 12.1K

-16.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,329 CHF 6,771

$7,405 CHF 6,020

12.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

2.43

-19.75%

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

Last update for Montreux: August 30, 2026

Last update for Basel: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,845 in Montreux and $2,095 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreux pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $139 in Montreux vs $128 in Basel. Groceries flip the comparison at $585 vs $598, with Montreux 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

Montreux vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreux wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montreux the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Montreux, 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: $1,845 in Montreux versus $2,095 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,425 in Montreux 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 $2,500. Montreux 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 Montreux delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,490 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreux hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montreux 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 Montreux gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.