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: $3,776 in St. Moritz versus $3,725 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,503 in St. Moritz versus $5,789 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,229 in St. Moritz versus $7,853 in Basel.

Living in St. Moritz is roughly 1% more expensive than in Basel, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Moritz 184% above, Basel 180% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.00 CHF 25.22

$31.01 CHF 25.23

-0.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 119

$154 CHF 125

-4.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.73 CHF 11.98

$19.45 CHF 15.82

-24.27%

Cappuccino

$6.32 CHF 5.14

$6.66 CHF 5.42

-5.11%

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

$5.65 CHF 4.60

$5.74 CHF 4.67

-1.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 CHF 3.66

$5.00 CHF 4.07

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.75 CHF 7.93

$9.58 CHF 7.79

1.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 CHF 4.87

$7.70 CHF 6.26

-22.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 CHF 1.08

$2.22 CHF 1.81

-40.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 CHF 2.75

$3.74 CHF 3.04

-9.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 CHF 3.34

$5.00 CHF 4.07

-17.80%

Eggs

$7.60 CHF 6.18

$7.91 CHF 6.44

-3.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.20 CHF 23.75

$29.24 CHF 23.79

-0.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.92 CHF 26.78

$37.30 CHF 30.34

-11.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.6 CHF 41.18

$43.14 CHF 35.09

17.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 CHF 3.33

$3.84 CHF 3.13

6.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.35

$2.60 CHF 2.12

11.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 CHF 2.47

$4.05 CHF 3.29

-24.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.20 CHF 4.23

$6.86 CHF 5.58

-24.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.23

$3.22 CHF 2.62

-14.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.88

$2.84 CHF 2.31

-18.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CHF 2.01

$2.63 CHF 2.14

-6.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 CHF 1.40

$1.49 CHF 1.21

16.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.16 CHF 9.08

$11.56 CHF 9.40

-3.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 CHF 11.05

$13.33 CHF 10.85

1.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 CHF 2.20

$2.34 CHF 1.90

15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 CHF 2.70

$3.04 CHF 2.47

8.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 CHF 3.13

$4.56 CHF 3.71

-15.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.9 CHF 78.9

$108 CHF 87.5

-9.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.52 CHF 6.12

$8.05 CHF 6.55

-6.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.46 CHF 3.63

$4.19 CHF 3.41

6.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.2 CHF 72.6

$85.8 CHF 69.8

4.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.82

$2.19 CHF 1.78

2.28%

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

$40.5K CHF 32.9K

$40.7K CHF 33.1K

-0.47%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.4K

$44.9K CHF 36.5K

-11.36%

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

$97.2 CHF 79.1

$303 CHF 246

-67.91%

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

$36.41 CHF 29.61

$53.2 CHF 43.24

-31.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 CHF 48.54

$58.5 CHF 47.61

1.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 CHF 60.8

$90.7 CHF 73.8

-17.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.41 CHF 34.50

$42.34 CHF 34.44

0.17%

Cinema Ticket

$18.87 CHF 15.35

$22.39 CHF 18.21

-15.72%

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

$3,368 CHF 2,739

$2,538 CHF 2,065

32.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.7K CHF 32.3K

$34.4K CHF 28.0K

15.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 112

$135 CHF 110

1.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 CHF 50.6

$89.2 CHF 72.5

-30.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 CHF 123

$175 CHF 142

-13.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 CHF 165

$227 CHF 184

-10.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 CHF 1,385

$2,105 CHF 1,712

-19.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 CHF 1,621

$1,498 CHF 1,218

33.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,808 CHF 2,284

$3,749 CHF 3,049

-25.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,655 CHF 3,787

$2,888 CHF 2,349

61.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.6K CHF 12.7K

$18.3K CHF 14.9K

-14.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 9,957

$14.3K CHF 11.6K

-14.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,804 CHF 3,908

$7,099 CHF 5,775

-32.33%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Basel: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,702 in St. Moritz and $2,105 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 48% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $147 in St. Moritz vs $154 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $665 vs $689 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 1% in total monthly costs ($3,776 vs $3,725 including rent). Basel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 48% 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: $1,702 in St. Moritz versus $2,105 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,368 in St. Moritz versus $2,538 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 4% 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 $3,725 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 1% less than in St. Moritz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.