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: $3,993 in Montreux versus $3,606 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,756 in Montreux versus $5,819 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,519 in Montreux versus $8,033 in Basel.

Living in Montreux is roughly 11% more expensive than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreux 199% above, Basel 170% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 CHF 24.95

$31.16 CHF 25.19

-0.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 120

$154 CHF 125

-3.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.76 CHF 15.17

$19.41 CHF 15.69

-3.35%

Cappuccino

$6.09 CHF 4.92

$6.73 CHF 5.44

-9.51%

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

$5.51 CHF 4.45

$5.46 CHF 4.42

0.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 CHF 3.97

$5.21 CHF 4.21

-5.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.00 CHF 8.08

$9.65 CHF 7.80

3.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.49 CHF 6.86

$7.31 CHF 5.91

16.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.82

$2.21 CHF 1.79

2.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.86 CHF 3.12

$3.87 CHF 3.13

-0.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 CHF 3.55

$5.19 CHF 4.19

-15.41%

Eggs

$7.29 CHF 5.90

$7.82 CHF 6.33

-6.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.22 CHF 22.81

$28.51 CHF 23.05

-1.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.54 CHF 23.07

$36.76 CHF 29.72

-22.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.93 CHF 35.52

$44.22 CHF 35.75

-0.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 CHF 3.25

$3.91 CHF 3.16

2.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.75

$2.74 CHF 2.21

-21.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.35

$4.18 CHF 3.38

-30.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.64 CHF 5.37

$6.99 CHF 5.65

-5.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.55

$3.26 CHF 2.64

-3.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.95

$2.98 CHF 2.41

-19.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CHF 2.05

$2.52 CHF 2.04

0.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CHF 1.27

$1.49 CHF 1.21

5.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.06 CHF 8.94

$11.83 CHF 9.56

-6.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 CHF 11.11

$13.68 CHF 11.06

0.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 CHF 1.65

$2.42 CHF 1.96

-15.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CHF 2.52

$3.04 CHF 2.46

2.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.15 CHF 3.36

$4.76 CHF 3.85

-12.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.3 CHF 73.8

$105 CHF 85.0

-13.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 CHF 6.44

$7.92 CHF 6.41

0.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.13 CHF 3.34

$4.36 CHF 3.52

-5.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.8 CHF 54.0

$87.4 CHF 70.7

-23.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$2.20 CHF 1.78

1.82%

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

$40.4K CHF 32.7K

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

-0.88%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.2K

$45.1K CHF 36.5K

-8.98%

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

$298 CHF 241

$302 CHF 244

-1.51%

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

$50.9 CHF 41.14

$54.0 CHF 43.66

-5.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 CHF 46.64

$58.9 CHF 47.60

-2.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.5 CHF 65.1

$90.9 CHF 73.5

-11.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.31 CHF 30.16

$41.38 CHF 33.46

-9.84%

Cinema Ticket

$22.78 CHF 18.42

$23.17 CHF 18.73

-1.68%

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

$2,625 CHF 2,122

$2,533 CHF 2,048

3.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.5K CHF 27.9K

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

1.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 CHF 89.1

$135 CHF 110

-18.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 CHF 57.2

$87.6 CHF 70.9

-19.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$177 CHF 143

$180 CHF 145

-1.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 148

$230 CHF 186

-20.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 CHF 1,764

$2,103 CHF 1,701

3.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,999 CHF 1,616

$1,511 CHF 1,222

32.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,322 CHF 2,686

$3,742 CHF 3,025

-11.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,265

$2,829 CHF 2,288

-0.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.1K

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

-13.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 9,901

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

-15.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,997 CHF 6,466

$7,175 CHF 5,801

11.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

2.55

-1.96%

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

Last update for Montreux: July 14, 2026

Last update for Basel: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,182 in Montreux and $2,103 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreux pays 11% 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: $148 in Montreux vs $154 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $632 vs $692 per month, with Montreux 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

Montreux vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreux and Basel differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($3,993 vs $3,606 including rent). Basel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% 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: $2,182 in Montreux versus $2,103 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,625 in Montreux versus $2,533 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Montreux pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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 $3,606 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Basel 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 Basel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Montreux. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.