Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Moritz and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Moritz and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,865 in St. Moritz versus $3,741 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,642 in St. Moritz versus $5,905 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,420 in St. Moritz versus $8,069 in Basel.

Living in St. Moritz is roughly 3% more expensive than Basel, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Moritz 189% above, Basel 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.31 CHF 24.74

$30.45 CHF 24.06

2.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$150 CHF 118

$152 CHF 120

-1.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.03 CHF 11.88

$19.99 CHF 15.79

-24.81%

Cappuccino

$6.14 CHF 4.85

$6.65 CHF 5.25

-7.67%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.31

$5.68 CHF 4.49

-3.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 CHF 3.76

$5.23 CHF 4.13

-8.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.02 CHF 7.91

$9.58 CHF 7.57

4.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 CHF 4.76

$7.64 CHF 6.04

-21.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 CHF 1.05

$2.21 CHF 1.75

-39.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 CHF 2.72

$3.83 CHF 3.03

-10.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 CHF 3.25

$5.18 CHF 4.09

-20.66%

Eggs

$7.45 CHF 5.89

$8.09 CHF 6.39

-7.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.79 CHF 23.53

$28.36 CHF 22.41

5.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.95 CHF 26.82

$37.13 CHF 29.33

-8.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.4 CHF 39.79

$44.06 CHF 34.81

14.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 CHF 3.23

$3.81 CHF 3.01

7.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 CHF 2.31

$2.67 CHF 2.11

9.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.49

$4.15 CHF 3.28

-24.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 CHF 3.99

$6.99 CHF 5.52

-27.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 CHF 2.23

$3.24 CHF 2.56

-12.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.82

$2.96 CHF 2.34

-21.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$2.53 CHF 2.00

-0.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 CHF 1.36

$1.57 CHF 1.24

10.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.87 CHF 8.59

$11.73 CHF 9.27

-7.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.15 CHF 11.97

$15.10 CHF 11.93

0.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 CHF 2.18

$2.35 CHF 1.85

17.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 CHF 2.53

$3.05 CHF 2.41

5.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 CHF 3.02

$4.55 CHF 3.60

-15.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.2 CHF 74.4

$105 CHF 82.8

-10.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.60 CHF 6.00

$7.96 CHF 6.29

-4.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.58 CHF 3.62

$4.28 CHF 3.38

7.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.6 CHF 68.4

$85.8 CHF 67.8

0.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

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

$40.3K CHF 31.8K

$39.6K CHF 31.3K

1.68%

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

$39.4K CHF 31.2K

$44.8K CHF 35.4K

-11.91%

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

$99.5 CHF 78.6

$309 CHF 244

-67.82%

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

$36.21 CHF 28.61

$53.1 CHF 41.98

-31.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 CHF 47.24

$60.4 CHF 47.73

-1.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.0 CHF 57.7

$91.0 CHF 71.9

-19.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.48 CHF 33.56

Cinema Ticket

$19.20 CHF 15.17

$23.06 CHF 18.22

-16.74%

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

$3,465 CHF 2,738

$2,609 CHF 2,061

32.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.6K CHF 31.3K

$34.8K CHF 27.5K

13.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 108

$133 CHF 105

3.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.5 CHF 48.62

$87.1 CHF 68.8

-29.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 CHF 118

$174 CHF 138

-14.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$205 CHF 162

$231 CHF 182

-11.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 CHF 1,350

$2,126 CHF 1,680

-19.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 CHF 1,566

$1,463 CHF 1,156

35.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 CHF 2,233

$3,757 CHF 2,968

-24.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,665 CHF 3,685

$2,789 CHF 2,203

67.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.9K CHF 14.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.8K CHF 10.1K

$13.3K CHF 10.5K

-3.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,994 CHF 3,945

$7,988 CHF 6,310

-37.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.8

2.55

-29.41%

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

Last update for St. Moritz: April 26, 2026

Last update for Basel: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,709 in St. Moritz and $2,126 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $150 in St. Moritz vs $152 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $674 vs $696 per month, with St. Moritz 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

St. Moritz vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Moritz and Basel differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($3,865 vs $3,741 including rent). Basel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Basel earns 60% 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: $1,709 in St. Moritz versus $2,126 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,465 in St. Moritz versus $2,609 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in St. Moritz pay roughly 3% 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 $3,741 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Basel hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, St. Moritz 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 3% less than in St. Moritz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.