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: $3,548 in Thun versus $3,730 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,381 in Thun versus $5,810 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,214 in Thun versus $7,891 in Basel.

Living in Thun costs roughly 5% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thun 163% above, Basel 177% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.75 CHF 21.73

$31.10 CHF 24.35

-10.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 95.8

$154 CHF 121

-20.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.27 CHF 13.52

$19.39 CHF 15.18

-10.93%

Cappuccino

$5.81 CHF 4.55

$6.74 CHF 5.27

-13.80%

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

$4.82 CHF 3.77

$5.71 CHF 4.47

-15.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 CHF 3.64

$5.26 CHF 4.12

-11.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.38 CHF 6.56

$10.05 CHF 7.87

-16.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.75 CHF 6.07

$7.61 CHF 5.96

1.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.75

$2.14 CHF 1.68

4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 CHF 2.65

$3.85 CHF 3.01

-12.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 CHF 3.22

$5.07 CHF 3.97

-18.93%

Eggs

$7.14 CHF 5.59

$7.82 CHF 6.12

-8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.35 CHF 20.63

$28.16 CHF 22.05

-6.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.15 CHF 22.04

$37.35 CHF 29.24

-24.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.83 CHF 31.97

$43.13 CHF 33.77

-5.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 CHF 2.68

$3.87 CHF 3.03

-11.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.69

$2.66 CHF 2.08

-18.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 CHF 2.21

$4.06 CHF 3.18

-30.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.40 CHF 5.01

$6.96 CHF 5.45

-8.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 CHF 1.77

$3.21 CHF 2.52

-29.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.69

$2.95 CHF 2.31

-26.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.97

$2.62 CHF 2.05

-4.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 CHF 0.86

$1.56 CHF 1.22

-30.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 CHF 8.60

$11.90 CHF 9.32

-7.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.83 CHF 10.05

$15.30 CHF 11.98

-16.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CHF 1.54

$2.38 CHF 1.87

-17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 CHF 1.78

$3.11 CHF 2.44

-27.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.88 CHF 3.04

$4.77 CHF 3.74

-18.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 CHF 77.6

$107 CHF 83.6

-7.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 CHF 6.08

$7.94 CHF 6.22

-2.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.31 CHF 2.59

$4.26 CHF 3.34

-22.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.8 CHF 51.5

$87.2 CHF 68.3

-24.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.68

$2.23 CHF 1.75

-4.04%

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

$40.8K CHF 32.0K

$41.1K CHF 32.2K

-0.59%

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

$41.8K CHF 32.7K

$45.3K CHF 35.4K

-7.67%

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

$370 CHF 290

$301 CHF 236

22.77%

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

$59.3 CHF 46.46

$54.2 CHF 42.45

9.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 CHF 45.22

$60.3 CHF 47.18

-4.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.1 CHF 68.2

$91.8 CHF 71.9

-5.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.35 CHF 33.16

Cinema Ticket

$24.98 CHF 19.56

$22.73 CHF 17.80

9.90%

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

$3,021 CHF 2,365

$2,621 CHF 2,052

15.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.4K CHF 26.2K

$34.5K CHF 27.0K

-3.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 CHF 117

$135 CHF 106

10.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 CHF 54.2

$87.6 CHF 68.6

-20.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$176 CHF 138

$175 CHF 137

0.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$183 CHF 143

$228 CHF 179

-19.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 CHF 1,319

$2,137 CHF 1,673

-21.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,447 CHF 1,133

$1,462 CHF 1,145

-1.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,888 CHF 2,261

$3,717 CHF 2,910

-22.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 CHF 1,912

$2,837 CHF 2,221

-13.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.4K CHF 13.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,747 CHF 6,066

$13.5K CHF 10.6K

-42.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,547 CHF 5,126

$7,891 CHF 6,179

-17.03%

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: April 11, 2026

Last update for Basel: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,684 in Thun and $2,137 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 21% 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 $591 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 5% 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, Basel earns 21% 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: $1,684 in Thun versus $2,137 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,021 in Thun versus $2,621 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% 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 $3,548 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 5% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.