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: $3,758 in St. Moritz versus $3,544 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,619 in St. Moritz versus $5,518 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,479 in St. Moritz versus $7,492 in Basel.

Living in St. Moritz is roughly 6% more expensive than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Moritz 173% above, Basel 157% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$37.71 CHF 30.78

$29.93 CHF 24.42

25.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 120

$125 CHF 102

17.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.97 CHF 12.22

$18.69 CHF 15.25

-19.90%

Cappuccino

$6.34 CHF 5.18

$6.73 CHF 5.49

-5.79%

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

$5.52 CHF 4.51

$6.33 CHF 5.17

-12.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 CHF 3.73

$5.86 CHF 4.78

-22.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.78 CHF 7.98

$9.34 CHF 7.62

4.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 CHF 5.16

$10.07 CHF 8.22

-37.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 CHF 1.52

$2.32 CHF 1.89

-19.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.89 CHF 3.17

$3.05 CHF 2.49

27.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.84 CHF 3.13

$3.32 CHF 2.71

15.66%

Eggs

$7.50 CHF 6.12

$8.34 CHF 6.80

-10.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.52 CHF 22.46

$26.21 CHF 21.39

5.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.09 CHF 22.11

$27.85 CHF 22.73

-2.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$62.2 CHF 50.8

$42.56 CHF 34.73

46.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 CHF 3.38

$3.66 CHF 2.99

13.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 CHF 2.35

$2.40 CHF 1.96

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.51 CHF 2.87

$2.99 CHF 2.44

17.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.85 CHF 3.96

$4.83 CHF 3.94

0.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 CHF 2.10

$1.79 CHF 1.46

44.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 CHF 1.78

$1.95 CHF 1.59

11.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CHF 2.12

$2.33 CHF 1.90

11.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CHF 1.04

$1.66 CHF 1.36

-23.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.03 CHF 9.00

$11.63 CHF 9.49

-5.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.32 CHF 10.87

$12.24 CHF 9.99

8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 CHF 2.32

$2.49 CHF 2.03

14.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 CHF 2.65

$3.18 CHF 2.59

2.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 CHF 3.15

$4.44 CHF 3.63

-13.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.6 CHF 78.0

$108 CHF 88.3

-11.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.57 CHF 6.99

$7.99 CHF 6.52

7.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.82 CHF 3.93

$4.59 CHF 3.75

5.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$91.1 CHF 74.4

$88.0 CHF 71.8

3.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

$2.29 CHF 1.87

-1.75%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.5K

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

-7.10%

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

$40.7K CHF 33.2K

$39.6K CHF 32.3K

2.63%

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

$97.1 CHF 79.3

$299 CHF 244

-67.46%

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

$39.52 CHF 32.25

$53.3 CHF 43.47

-25.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.2 CHF 47.46

$66.0 CHF 53.9

-11.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 CHF 60.2

$85.8 CHF 70.0

-13.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.0 CHF 48.17

Cinema Ticket

$19.30 CHF 15.75

$23.81 CHF 19.44

-18.94%

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

$3,671 CHF 2,996

$3,026 CHF 2,470

21.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.2K CHF 35.2K

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

29.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$148 CHF 121

$147 CHF 120

1.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 CHF 49.73

$81.6 CHF 66.6

-25.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$171 CHF 140

$164 CHF 134

4.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$265 CHF 216

$199 CHF 162

33.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,874 CHF 1,529

$2,141 CHF 1,747

-12.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 CHF 1,435

$1,528 CHF 1,247

15.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,636 CHF 4,599

$3,615 CHF 2,950

55.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,841 CHF 3,950

$2,890 CHF 2,358

67.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.6K CHF 10.3K

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

-13.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,853 CHF 3,961

$7,336 CHF 5,987

-33.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.8

2.43

-25.93%

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

Last update for St. Moritz: September 8, 2026

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,874 in St. Moritz and $2,141 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 51% 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 $125 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $669 vs $597 per month, with Basel 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

Basel wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in St. Moritz. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Basel the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 51% 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: $1,874 in St. Moritz versus $2,141 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,671 in St. Moritz versus $3,026 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in St. Moritz. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 $3,544 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 6% less than in St. Moritz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.