Cost of Living Comparison Between Thun and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Thun and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,518 in Thun versus $3,606 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,320 in Thun versus $5,819 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,122 in Thun versus $8,033 in Basel.

Living in Thun costs roughly 2% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thun 163% above, Basel 170% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.19 CHF 22.83

$31.16 CHF 25.24

-9.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 98.6

$154 CHF 125

-21.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.95 CHF 13.73

$19.41 CHF 15.72

-12.67%

Cappuccino

$6.01 CHF 4.87

$6.73 CHF 5.45

-10.70%

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

$4.73 CHF 3.83

$5.46 CHF 4.43

-13.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 CHF 3.86

$5.21 CHF 4.22

-8.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.20 CHF 6.64

$9.65 CHF 7.82

-15.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.80 CHF 6.32

$7.31 CHF 5.92

6.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.75

$2.21 CHF 1.79

-2.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 CHF 2.67

$3.87 CHF 3.14

-14.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.10 CHF 3.32

$5.19 CHF 4.20

-21.00%

Eggs

$7.16 CHF 5.80

$7.82 CHF 6.34

-8.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.07 CHF 21.93

$28.51 CHF 23.09

-5.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.91 CHF 23.42

$36.76 CHF 29.78

-21.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.40 CHF 33.53

$44.22 CHF 35.82

-6.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.88

$3.91 CHF 3.16

-9.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 CHF 1.77

$2.74 CHF 2.22

-20.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.22

$4.18 CHF 3.38

-34.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.45 CHF 5.22

$6.99 CHF 5.66

-7.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.74

$3.26 CHF 2.64

-34.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$2.98 CHF 2.41

-24.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 2.06

$2.52 CHF 2.04

0.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 CHF 0.93

$1.49 CHF 1.21

-23.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.30 CHF 9.15

$11.83 CHF 9.58

-4.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 CHF 9.87

$13.68 CHF 11.08

-10.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 CHF 1.54

$2.42 CHF 1.96

-21.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 CHF 1.90

$3.04 CHF 2.46

-22.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.82 CHF 3.09

$4.76 CHF 3.86

-19.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.6 CHF 79.0

$105 CHF 85.1

-7.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 CHF 6.21

$7.92 CHF 6.42

-3.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.29 CHF 2.67

$4.36 CHF 3.53

-24.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.3 CHF 53.7

$87.4 CHF 70.8

-24.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.73

$2.20 CHF 1.78

-2.73%

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

$40.0K CHF 32.4K

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

-1.97%

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

$41.6K CHF 33.7K

$45.1K CHF 36.6K

-7.90%

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

$376 CHF 304

$302 CHF 245

24.37%

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

$59.0 CHF 47.76

$54.0 CHF 43.74

9.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.9 CHF 46.86

$58.9 CHF 47.69

-1.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.2 CHF 70.7

$90.9 CHF 73.6

-3.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.38 CHF 33.52

Cinema Ticket

$24.20 CHF 19.60

$23.17 CHF 18.77

4.45%

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

$3,051 CHF 2,472

$2,533 CHF 2,052

20.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.7K CHF 28.1K

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

2.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$153 CHF 124

$135 CHF 110

13.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.4 CHF 57.0

$87.6 CHF 71.0

-19.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$175 CHF 141

$180 CHF 146

-2.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$182 CHF 148

$230 CHF 186

-20.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 CHF 1,388

$2,103 CHF 1,704

-18.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 CHF 1,203

$1,511 CHF 1,224

-1.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,873 CHF 2,327

$3,742 CHF 3,031

-23.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,419 CHF 1,960

$2,829 CHF 2,292

-14.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,289 CHF 5,904

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

-49.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,799 CHF 4,697

$7,175 CHF 5,812

-19.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

2.55

-1.96%

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

Last update for Thun: July 12, 2026

Last update for Basel: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,714 in Thun and $2,103 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: $122 in Thun vs $154 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $597 vs $692 per month, with Thun 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

Thun vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thun wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Thun 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: $1,714 in Thun versus $2,103 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,051 in Thun versus $2,533 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% 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. Thun 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 Thun delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,518 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Thun hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Thun 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 Thun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.