Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thun and Basel

For one person, living costs are similar in Thun and in Basel: $3,388 and $3,461 a month, rent and utilities included.

166

Cost of Living Index in Thun
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Thun Living Index
169

Cost of Living Index in Basel
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Basel Living Index

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Thun

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,388

/mo nomad

Basel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,461

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thun and in Basel

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Thun and in Basel actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,388 in Thun versus $3,461 in Basel.

Thun $3,388
Basel $3,461

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,170 in Thun versus $5,427 in Basel.

Thun $5,170
Basel $5,427

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,952 in Thun versus $7,394 in Basel.

Thun $6,952
Basel $7,394

Living in Thun costs roughly 2% less than in Basel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thun 151% above, Basel 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.31 CHF 23.32

$29.60 CHF 24.38

-4.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 100

$123 CHF 102

-1.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.51 CHF 12.77

$17.93 CHF 14.77

-13.50%

Cappuccino

$6.45 CHF 5.31

$6.21 CHF 5.12

3.86%

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

$6.28 CHF 5.17

$6.50 CHF 5.35

-3.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 CHF 4.84

$5.77 CHF 4.75

1.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.85 CHF 7.29

$9.20 CHF 7.58

-3.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.67 CHF 6.32

$9.79 CHF 8.07

-21.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.76

$2.26 CHF 1.86

-5.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 CHF 2.46

$3.12 CHF 2.57

-4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 CHF 2.58

$3.17 CHF 2.61

-1.26%

Eggs

$7.60 CHF 6.26

$7.83 CHF 6.45

-2.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.82 CHF 19.62

$26.04 CHF 21.45

-8.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.88 CHF 22.14

$26.78 CHF 22.05

0.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.26 CHF 32.34

$40.31 CHF 33.20

-2.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.92

$3.52 CHF 2.90

0.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 CHF 1.61

$2.34 CHF 1.92

-16.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 CHF 2.18

$2.96 CHF 2.44

-10.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 CHF 3.90

$4.52 CHF 3.72

4.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 CHF 1.28

$1.72 CHF 1.42

-9.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.65

$1.89 CHF 1.56

5.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 CHF 1.80

$2.24 CHF 1.84

-2.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CHF 1.05

$1.61 CHF 1.33

-20.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.25 CHF 9.26

$11.08 CHF 9.13

1.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.09 CHF 9.96

$11.84 CHF 9.75

2.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$2.52 CHF 2.08

-10.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 CHF 2.41

$2.97 CHF 2.44

-1.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.49 CHF 3.70

$4.53 CHF 3.73

-0.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 CHF 82.6

$105 CHF 86.5

-4.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.04 CHF 6.62

$7.95 CHF 6.54

1.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.53 CHF 3.73

$4.51 CHF 3.71

0.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$82.9 CHF 68.3

$84.6 CHF 69.7

-2.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 CHF 1.96

$2.31 CHF 1.91

3.03%

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

$42.5K CHF 35.0K

$42.3K CHF 34.8K

0.62%

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

$39.4K CHF 32.5K

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

1.84%

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

$289 CHF 238

$292 CHF 240

-0.83%

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

$46.36 CHF 38.18

$46.45 CHF 38.25

-0.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.8 CHF 51.7

$61.9 CHF 51.0

1.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.8 CHF 74.0

$81.1 CHF 66.8

10.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.01 CHF 37.89

$58.5 CHF 48.17

-21.32%

Cinema Ticket

$23.22 CHF 19.12

$22.48 CHF 18.52

3.29%

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

$3,058 CHF 2,519

$2,993 CHF 2,465

2.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K CHF 25.1K

$32.0K CHF 26.3K

-4.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$144 CHF 119

$142 CHF 117

1.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.8 CHF 64.9

$77.1 CHF 63.5

2.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 131

0.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$192 CHF 158

$198 CHF 163

-3.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,685 CHF 1,388

$1,953 CHF 1,609

-13.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,432 CHF 1,180

$1,465 CHF 1,207

-2.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,842 CHF 2,341

$3,586 CHF 2,954

-20.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,457 CHF 2,023

$2,796 CHF 2,302

-12.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.4K

$18.1K CHF 14.9K

-10.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K CHF 9,721

$14.3K CHF 11.8K

-17.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,785 CHF 4,765

$6,863 CHF 5,652

-15.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.42

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

Last update for Thun: October 11, 2026

Last update for Basel: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Thun

$1.4K 42.3%

Basel

$1.5K 42.4% 2.3% $33

Groceries & Markets

Thun

$556 16.4%

Basel

$576 16.7% 3.7% $21

Eating Out

Thun

$459 13.5%

Basel

$480 13.9% 4.6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thun

$398 11.8%

Basel

$400 11.6% 0.4% $1.6

Clothing & Footwear

Thun

$258 7.6%

Basel

$260 7.5% 0.5% $1.4

Getting Around

Thun

$149 4.4%

Basel

$154 4.4% 3.2% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Thun

$136 4%

Basel

$126 3.6% 7.5% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,685 in Thun and $1,953 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 19% 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 $123 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $556 vs $576 per month, with Thun cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Thun

🇨🇭 Basel

🕒 Local time

03:48 3:48 AM

Same time as Thun

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,905

174,491

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Thun Basel 89 km

From you

Thun
Basel

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 19% 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: $1,685 in Thun versus $1,953 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,058 in Thun versus $2,993 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% 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 $3,388 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.