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: $3,847 in St. Moritz versus $3,706 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,534 in St. Moritz versus $5,904 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,221 in St. Moritz versus $8,102 in Basel.

Living in St. Moritz is roughly 4% more expensive than Basel, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Moritz 186% above, Basel 176% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.18 CHF 24.75

$31.07 CHF 24.67

0.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 116

$155 CHF 123

-5.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.71 CHF 11.68

$19.81 CHF 15.72

-25.74%

Cappuccino

$6.27 CHF 4.98

$6.98 CHF 5.54

-10.17%

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

$5.48 CHF 4.35

$5.69 CHF 4.52

-3.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 CHF 3.73

$5.00 CHF 3.97

-6.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.73 CHF 7.73

$9.80 CHF 7.78

-0.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 CHF 4.81

$7.64 CHF 6.07

-20.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 CHF 1.06

$2.22 CHF 1.76

-40.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 CHF 2.70

$3.85 CHF 3.05

-11.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.94 CHF 3.13

$5.00 CHF 3.97

-21.20%

Eggs

$7.46 CHF 5.92

$8.00 CHF 6.35

-6.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.03 CHF 23.05

$28.50 CHF 22.62

1.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.94 CHF 26.95

$36.38 CHF 28.88

-6.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.8 CHF 40.32

$44.61 CHF 35.42

13.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 CHF 3.29

$3.95 CHF 3.14

4.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.31

$2.70 CHF 2.14

7.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.50

$4.24 CHF 3.37

-25.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 CHF 4.01

$6.84 CHF 5.43

-26.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CHF 2.17

$3.15 CHF 2.50

-13.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 CHF 1.82

$2.86 CHF 2.27

-19.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CHF 2.05

$2.63 CHF 2.09

-1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 CHF 1.33

$1.50 CHF 1.19

11.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CHF 8.95

$11.55 CHF 9.17

-2.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.82 CHF 11.76

$13.89 CHF 11.03

6.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 CHF 2.09

$2.37 CHF 1.88

11.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 CHF 2.56

$3.06 CHF 2.43

5.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.04 CHF 3.21

$4.67 CHF 3.71

-13.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.2 CHF 75.6

$108 CHF 85.7

-11.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.52 CHF 5.97

$8.06 CHF 6.40

-6.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.54 CHF 3.61

$4.28 CHF 3.40

6.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.3 CHF 68.5

$87.2 CHF 69.2

-1.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.80

$2.22 CHF 1.76

2.25%

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

$40.0K CHF 31.8K

$39.9K CHF 31.7K

0.20%

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

$39.8K CHF 31.6K

$44.8K CHF 35.5K

-11.11%

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

$98.5 CHF 78.2

$308 CHF 245

-68.04%

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

$35.59 CHF 28.25

$55.1 CHF 43.74

-35.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 CHF 46.98

$59.9 CHF 47.51

-1.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.5 CHF 58.3

$90.5 CHF 71.8

-18.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.81 CHF 33.19

Cinema Ticket

$19.41 CHF 15.41

$23.10 CHF 18.34

-15.97%

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

$3,408 CHF 2,705

$2,555 CHF 2,029

33.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$38.5K CHF 30.6K

$34.2K CHF 27.2K

12.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 CHF 112

$133 CHF 106

6.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 CHF 48.69

$86.4 CHF 68.6

-29.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 117

$175 CHF 139

-16.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$205 CHF 163

$234 CHF 186

-12.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 CHF 1,348

$2,106 CHF 1,672

-19.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,955 CHF 1,552

$1,484 CHF 1,178

31.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,868 CHF 2,277

$3,757 CHF 2,982

-23.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,615 CHF 3,664

$2,891 CHF 2,295

59.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.0K CHF 11.9K

$18.7K CHF 14.8K

-19.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.6K CHF 9,221

$14.0K CHF 11.1K

-16.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,973 CHF 3,948

$8,072 CHF 6,408

-38.39%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Basel: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in St. Moritz and $2,106 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 62% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $146 in St. Moritz vs $155 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $670 vs $691 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 4% in total monthly costs ($3,847 vs $3,706 including rent). Basel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Basel earns 62% 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: $1,699 in St. Moritz versus $2,106 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,408 in St. Moritz versus $2,555 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 $3,706 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 4% less than in St. Moritz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.