Cost of Living Comparison Between Sion and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Sion and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,806 in Sion versus $3,606 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,758 in Sion versus $5,819 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,709 in Sion versus $8,033 in Basel.

Living in Sion costs roughly 22% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sion 110% above, Basel 170% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.60 CHF 24.74

$31.16 CHF 25.19

-1.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 98.8

$154 CHF 125

-20.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.01 CHF 14.56

$19.41 CHF 15.69

-7.21%

Cappuccino

$4.67 CHF 3.77

$6.73 CHF 5.44

-30.61%

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

$5.08 CHF 4.11

$5.46 CHF 4.42

-6.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 CHF 3.54

$5.21 CHF 4.21

-15.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 CHF 6.14

$9.65 CHF 7.80

-21.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 CHF 5.80

$7.31 CHF 5.91

-1.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 CHF 1.50

$2.21 CHF 1.79

-16.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 CHF 3.09

$3.87 CHF 3.13

-1.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.04 CHF 4.07

$5.19 CHF 4.19

-2.89%

Eggs

$6.20 CHF 5.01

$7.82 CHF 6.33

-20.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.38 CHF 22.14

$28.51 CHF 23.05

-3.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$23.80 CHF 19.25

$36.76 CHF 29.72

-35.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.05 CHF 35.62

$44.22 CHF 35.75

-0.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 CHF 2.89

$3.91 CHF 3.16

-8.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 CHF 2.20

$2.74 CHF 2.21

-0.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 CHF 2.94

$4.18 CHF 3.38

-12.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.34 CHF 5.13

$6.99 CHF 5.65

-9.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 CHF 2.54

$3.26 CHF 2.64

-3.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 CHF 2.28

$2.98 CHF 2.41

-5.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 2.05

$2.52 CHF 2.04

0.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CHF 1.01

$1.49 CHF 1.21

-16.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.00 CHF 8.89

$11.83 CHF 9.56

-7.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 CHF 10.99

$13.68 CHF 11.06

-0.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 CHF 1.47

$2.42 CHF 1.96

-24.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CHF 1.52

$3.04 CHF 2.46

-38.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.14 CHF 4.15

$4.76 CHF 3.85

7.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$181 CHF 147

$105 CHF 85.0

72.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.30 CHF 5.09

$7.92 CHF 6.41

-20.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.24 CHF 3.43

$4.36 CHF 3.52

-2.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.32 CHF 39.87

$87.4 CHF 70.7

-43.56%

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)

$40.9K CHF 33.0K

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

0.18%

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

$37.6K CHF 30.4K

$45.1K CHF 36.5K

-16.64%

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

$307 CHF 248

$302 CHF 244

1.58%

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

$37.36 CHF 30.20

$54.0 CHF 43.66

-30.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 CHF 47.71

$58.9 CHF 47.60

0.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$140 CHF 113

$90.9 CHF 73.5

54.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.6 CHF 44.91

$41.38 CHF 33.46

34.24%

Cinema Ticket

$22.42 CHF 18.12

$23.17 CHF 18.73

-3.24%

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

$985 CHF 796

$2,533 CHF 2,048

-61.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.2K CHF 28.4K

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

3.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 107

$135 CHF 110

-2.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.8 CHF 49.15

$87.6 CHF 70.9

-30.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$157 CHF 127

$180 CHF 145

-12.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$223 CHF 180

$230 CHF 186

-2.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 CHF 706

$2,103 CHF 1,701

-58.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 CHF 601

$1,511 CHF 1,222

-50.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 CHF 1,386

$3,742 CHF 3,025

-54.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 CHF 1,554

$2,829 CHF 2,288

-32.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,432 CHF 6,009

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

-60.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,527 CHF 4,469

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

-62.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,940 CHF 4,802

$7,175 CHF 5,801

-17.22%

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 Sion: July 12, 2026

Last update for Basel: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $873 in Sion and $2,103 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 21% 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: $122 in Sion vs $154 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $596 vs $692 per month, with Sion 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

Sion vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sion wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sion the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Basel. 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: $873 in Sion versus $2,103 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $985 in Sion versus $2,533 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Sion 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 Sion delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,806 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sion hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sion 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 Sion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.