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: $4,058 in Montreux versus $3,653 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,760 in Montreux versus $5,857 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,462 in Montreux versus $8,062 in Basel.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreux 203% above, Basel 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.25 CHF 23.85

$30.72 CHF 24.22

-1.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 118

$156 CHF 123

-4.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.89 CHF 14.90

$19.37 CHF 15.27

-2.48%

Cappuccino

$6.02 CHF 4.74

$6.75 CHF 5.32

-10.81%

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

$5.59 CHF 4.41

$5.67 CHF 4.47

-1.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 CHF 3.74

$5.02 CHF 3.96

-5.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.61 CHF 7.58

$10.09 CHF 7.95

-4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.67 CHF 6.84

$7.45 CHF 5.87

16.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.76

$2.24 CHF 1.77

-0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 CHF 3.00

$3.73 CHF 2.94

1.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.41 CHF 3.48

$4.99 CHF 3.94

-11.62%

Eggs

$7.04 CHF 5.55

$8.16 CHF 6.44

-13.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.06 CHF 22.91

$28.67 CHF 22.60

1.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.44 CHF 22.42

$35.93 CHF 28.33

-20.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.85 CHF 34.57

$43.12 CHF 34.00

1.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 CHF 3.16

$3.98 CHF 3.14

0.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.70

$2.60 CHF 2.05

-16.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.28

$4.24 CHF 3.35

-31.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.40 CHF 5.05

$6.96 CHF 5.49

-8.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.50

$3.23 CHF 2.55

-1.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 1.91

$2.94 CHF 2.32

-17.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 1.99

$2.51 CHF 1.98

0.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CHF 1.24

$1.55 CHF 1.22

1.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.89 CHF 8.59

$11.68 CHF 9.21

-6.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.17 CHF 11.17

$13.81 CHF 10.89

2.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 CHF 1.60

$2.39 CHF 1.88

-15.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.39

$3.16 CHF 2.49

-3.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.03 CHF 3.18

$4.58 CHF 3.61

-12.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.5 CHF 70.6

$105 CHF 82.4

-14.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 CHF 6.37

$7.99 CHF 6.30

1.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.12 CHF 3.25

$4.31 CHF 3.40

-4.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.7 CHF 52.6

$87.2 CHF 68.8

-23.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.78

$2.23 CHF 1.75

1.35%

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

$39.8K CHF 31.4K

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

-1.44%

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

$42.0K CHF 33.1K

$44.3K CHF 34.9K

-5.32%

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

$308 CHF 243

$306 CHF 241

0.68%

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

$50.1 CHF 39.46

$53.5 CHF 42.20

-6.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 CHF 45.81

$58.9 CHF 46.40

-1.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.5 CHF 63.4

$90.3 CHF 71.2

-10.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.99 CHF 29.16

$42.50 CHF 33.51

-12.96%

Cinema Ticket

$22.58 CHF 17.81

$22.72 CHF 17.91

-0.62%

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

$2,617 CHF 2,064

$2,574 CHF 2,029

1.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 26.7K

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

-0.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 CHF 86.0

$134 CHF 105

-18.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.6 CHF 54.1

$88.3 CHF 69.6

-22.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$176 CHF 139

$181 CHF 143

-2.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 145

$227 CHF 179

-18.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,177 CHF 1,717

$2,112 CHF 1,665

3.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 CHF 1,582

$1,519 CHF 1,197

32.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,327 CHF 2,623

$3,828 CHF 3,018

-13.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,749 CHF 2,167

$2,802 CHF 2,209

-1.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.7K CHF 13.2K

$19.1K CHF 15.0K

-12.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,808 CHF 6,944

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

-38.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,425 CHF 6,642

$8,292 CHF 6,537

1.61%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Basel: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,177 in Montreux and $2,112 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreux pays 2% 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: $149 in Montreux vs $156 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $632 vs $685 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 ($4,058 vs $3,653 including rent). Basel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Montreux pays 2% more on average, 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: $2,177 in Montreux versus $2,112 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,617 in Montreux versus $2,574 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Montreux pay roughly 8% 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 $3,653 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.