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: $2,809 in Sion versus $3,653 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,764 in Sion versus $5,857 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,719 in Sion versus $8,062 in Basel.

Living in Sion costs roughly 23% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sion 110% above, Basel 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.49 CHF 24.04

$30.72 CHF 24.22

-0.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 96.0

$156 CHF 123

-21.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.18 CHF 14.33

$19.37 CHF 15.27

-6.14%

Cappuccino

$4.59 CHF 3.62

$6.75 CHF 5.32

-32.00%

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

$5.12 CHF 4.03

$5.67 CHF 4.47

-9.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 CHF 3.33

$5.02 CHF 3.96

-15.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 CHF 5.65

$10.09 CHF 7.95

-28.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.88

$7.45 CHF 5.87

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 CHF 1.44

$2.24 CHF 1.77

-18.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.86 CHF 3.04

$3.73 CHF 2.94

3.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.92 CHF 3.88

$4.99 CHF 3.94

-1.40%

Eggs

$5.96 CHF 4.70

$8.16 CHF 6.44

-26.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.37 CHF 22.37

$28.67 CHF 22.60

-1.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$23.36 CHF 18.41

$35.93 CHF 28.33

-34.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.20 CHF 34.85

$43.12 CHF 34.00

2.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CHF 2.68

$3.98 CHF 3.14

-14.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.16

$2.60 CHF 2.05

5.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 CHF 2.83

$4.24 CHF 3.35

-15.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.13 CHF 4.84

$6.96 CHF 5.49

-11.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.48

$3.23 CHF 2.55

-2.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.35

$2.94 CHF 2.32

1.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 2.01

$2.51 CHF 1.98

1.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 CHF 0.95

$1.55 CHF 1.22

-22.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.20 CHF 8.83

$11.68 CHF 9.21

-4.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 CHF 11.09

$13.81 CHF 10.89

1.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 CHF 1.47

$2.39 CHF 1.88

-21.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 CHF 1.46

$3.16 CHF 2.49

-41.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.28 CHF 4.16

$4.58 CHF 3.61

15.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$187 CHF 147

$105 CHF 82.4

78.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 CHF 4.89

$7.99 CHF 6.30

-22.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.26 CHF 3.36

$4.31 CHF 3.40

-1.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.76 CHF 39.23

$87.2 CHF 68.8

-42.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.75

$2.23 CHF 1.75

-0.45%

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

$40.0K CHF 31.5K

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

-1.01%

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

$38.4K CHF 30.3K

$44.3K CHF 34.9K

-13.33%

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

$309 CHF 243

$306 CHF 241

0.80%

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

$37.41 CHF 29.50

$53.5 CHF 42.20

-30.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 CHF 47.62

$58.9 CHF 46.40

2.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$138 CHF 109

$90.3 CHF 71.2

52.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.6 CHF 43.07

$42.50 CHF 33.51

28.54%

Cinema Ticket

$22.52 CHF 17.76

$22.72 CHF 17.91

-0.88%

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

$994 CHF 783

$2,574 CHF 2,029

-61.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.0K CHF 27.6K

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

2.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 107

$134 CHF 105

1.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 CHF 48.34

$88.3 CHF 69.6

-30.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 CHF 127

$181 CHF 143

-11.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$225 CHF 177

$227 CHF 179

-0.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 CHF 676

$2,112 CHF 1,665

-59.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 CHF 586

$1,519 CHF 1,197

-51.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,701 CHF 1,341

$3,828 CHF 3,018

-55.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 CHF 1,488

$2,802 CHF 2,209

-32.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,796 CHF 6,147

$19.1K CHF 15.0K

-59.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,773 CHF 4,551

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

-59.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,200 CHF 4,888

$8,292 CHF 6,537

-25.23%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Basel: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $857 in Sion and $2,112 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 34% 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 $156 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $595 vs $685 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 30% 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, Basel earns 34% less. 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: $857 in Sion versus $2,112 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $994 in Sion versus $2,574 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,809 in Sion versus $3,653 in Basel, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sion but tight or insufficient in Basel. The gap between the two cities makes Sion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sion delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,809 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 30% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.