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: $3,284 in Sion versus $3,566 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,960 in Sion versus $5,581 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,636 in Sion versus $7,595 in Basel.

Living in Sion costs roughly 8% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sion 139% above, Basel 160% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.27 CHF 24.61

$29.61 CHF 24.07

2.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.3 CHF 75.8

$128 CHF 104

-27.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.37 CHF 16.56

$18.47 CHF 15.01

10.29%

Cappuccino

$4.48 CHF 3.64

$6.76 CHF 5.50

-33.73%

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

$4.93 CHF 4.01

$6.33 CHF 5.14

-22.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 CHF 3.31

$6.15 CHF 5.00

-33.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.27 CHF 5.91

$8.91 CHF 7.24

-18.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.36 CHF 5.98

$9.93 CHF 8.07

-25.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 CHF 1.62

$2.34 CHF 1.90

-14.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.70 CHF 3.01

$3.22 CHF 2.61

14.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 CHF 3.49

$3.36 CHF 2.73

27.98%

Eggs

$7.49 CHF 6.09

$8.03 CHF 6.53

-6.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.80 CHF 20.98

$26.94 CHF 21.90

-4.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$23.59 CHF 19.18

$27.83 CHF 22.63

-15.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.76 CHF 33.13

$41.82 CHF 34.00

-2.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CHF 2.68

$3.60 CHF 2.93

-8.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 CHF 1.35

$2.35 CHF 1.91

-29.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 CHF 2.03

$3.12 CHF 2.54

-19.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.25 CHF 5.08

$4.84 CHF 3.93

29.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 CHF 1.56

$1.73 CHF 1.40

10.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.74

$2.07 CHF 1.68

3.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 CHF 1.98

$2.33 CHF 1.89

4.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 CHF 0.96

$1.63 CHF 1.33

-27.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.00 CHF 8.94

$11.39 CHF 9.26

-3.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.49 CHF 10.16

$12.41 CHF 10.09

0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 CHF 1.48

$2.62 CHF 2.13

-30.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 CHF 1.52

$3.21 CHF 2.61

-41.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.39 CHF 4.39

$4.60 CHF 3.74

17.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$187 CHF 152

$108 CHF 88.2

72.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.06 CHF 4.93

$8.16 CHF 6.63

-25.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.52 CHF 4.49

$4.67 CHF 3.80

18.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.88 CHF 40.55

$85.9 CHF 69.8

-41.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.86

$2.27 CHF 1.85

0.88%

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

$35.8K CHF 29.1K

$43.8K CHF 35.6K

-18.34%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.3K

$39.8K CHF 32.4K

-0.05%

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

$295 CHF 240

$304 CHF 247

-2.89%

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

$22.71 CHF 18.46

$54.2 CHF 44.05

-58.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.88 CHF 40.55

$64.7 CHF 52.6

-22.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$142 CHF 116

$83.3 CHF 67.7

71.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.6 CHF 45.23

$58.5 CHF 47.56

-4.91%

Cinema Ticket

$20.28 CHF 16.49

$23.78 CHF 19.34

-14.72%

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

$1,002 CHF 814

$3,055 CHF 2,484

-67.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.3K CHF 28.7K

$32.6K CHF 26.5K

8.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$167 CHF 136

$147 CHF 120

13.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.4 CHF 47.45

$81.7 CHF 66.4

-28.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$182 CHF 148

$166 CHF 135

9.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 CHF 123

$206 CHF 167

-26.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CHF 1,024

$2,095 CHF 1,703

-39.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 CHF 1,044

$1,529 CHF 1,243

-16.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,305 CHF 1,874

$3,547 CHF 2,884

-35.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 CHF 1,712

$2,865 CHF 2,329

-26.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,652 CHF 6,221

$18.2K CHF 14.8K

-58.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,660 CHF 4,602

$14.8K CHF 12.1K

-61.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,995 CHF 4,874

$7,405 CHF 6,020

-19.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.15

2.43

-11.52%

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

Last update for Sion: August 29, 2026

Last update for Basel: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Sion and $2,095 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 24% 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: $93.0 in Sion vs $128 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $561 vs $598 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 9% 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 24% 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: $1,260 in Sion versus $2,095 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,002 in Sion 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 7% 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 $3,284 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 9% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.