Cost of Living Comparison Between Uster and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Uster and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,815 in Uster versus $3,606 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,625 in Uster versus $5,819 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,435 in Uster versus $8,033 in Basel.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Uster 186% above, Basel 170% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.40 CHF 25.39

$31.16 CHF 25.19

0.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 119

$154 CHF 125

-4.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.66 CHF 15.09

$19.41 CHF 15.69

-3.86%

Cappuccino

$6.26 CHF 5.06

$6.73 CHF 5.44

-6.98%

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

$5.66 CHF 4.58

$5.46 CHF 4.42

3.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.34 CHF 4.32

$5.21 CHF 4.21

2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.07 CHF 8.14

$9.65 CHF 7.80

4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 CHF 5.79

$7.31 CHF 5.91

-2.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.78

$2.21 CHF 1.79

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 CHF 2.43

$3.87 CHF 3.13

-22.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.52 CHF 2.85

$5.19 CHF 4.19

-32.18%

Eggs

$7.39 CHF 5.97

$7.82 CHF 6.33

-5.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.48 CHF 23.83

$28.51 CHF 23.05

3.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.29 CHF 26.92

$36.76 CHF 29.72

-9.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$49.60 CHF 40.10

$44.22 CHF 35.75

12.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 CHF 3.01

$3.91 CHF 3.16

-4.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 CHF 1.55

$2.74 CHF 2.21

-29.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 CHF 2.49

$4.18 CHF 3.38

-26.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 CHF 4.10

$6.99 CHF 5.65

-27.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 CHF 2.09

$3.26 CHF 2.64

-20.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 CHF 1.85

$2.98 CHF 2.41

-23.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.88

$2.52 CHF 2.04

-7.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 CHF 1.16

$1.49 CHF 1.21

-3.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.66 CHF 8.62

$11.83 CHF 9.56

-9.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.93 CHF 10.46

$13.68 CHF 11.06

-5.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 CHF 2.22

$2.42 CHF 1.96

13.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 CHF 1.94

$3.04 CHF 2.46

-21.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.41 CHF 2.76

$4.76 CHF 3.85

-28.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 CHF 81.2

$105 CHF 85.0

-4.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.62 CHF 5.35

$7.92 CHF 6.41

-16.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.49

$4.36 CHF 3.52

-1.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.1 CHF 63.9

$87.4 CHF 70.7

-9.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.79

$2.20 CHF 1.78

0.91%

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

$40.9K CHF 33.1K

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

0.32%

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

$39.4K CHF 31.8K

$45.1K CHF 36.5K

-12.73%

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

$326 CHF 264

$302 CHF 244

7.99%

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

$36.40 CHF 29.43

$54.0 CHF 43.66

-32.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 CHF 46.75

$58.9 CHF 47.60

-1.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.2 CHF 60.0

$90.9 CHF 73.5

-18.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$62.5 CHF 50.5

$41.38 CHF 33.46

50.99%

Cinema Ticket

$24.97 CHF 20.19

$23.17 CHF 18.73

7.77%

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

$3,114 CHF 2,518

$2,533 CHF 2,048

22.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.7K CHF 32.1K

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

17.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 118

$135 CHF 110

8.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 CHF 48.74

$87.6 CHF 70.9

-31.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 CHF 122

$180 CHF 145

-16.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 CHF 164

$230 CHF 186

-11.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 CHF 1,685

$2,103 CHF 1,701

-0.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,760 CHF 1,423

$1,511 CHF 1,222

16.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,011 CHF 2,434

$3,742 CHF 3,025

-19.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,482 CHF 2,007

$2,829 CHF 2,288

-12.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.4K CHF 11.7K

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

-23.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.0K CHF 11.3K

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

-4.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,035 CHF 5,687

$7,175 CHF 5,801

-1.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

2.55

-18.04%

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

Last update for Uster: July 14, 2026

Last update for Basel: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,084 in Uster and $2,103 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 2% 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 Uster vs $154 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $650 vs $692 per month, with Uster 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

Uster vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Uster and Basel differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($3,815 vs $3,606 including rent). Basel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2% 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: $2,084 in Uster versus $2,103 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,114 in Uster versus $2,533 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Uster pay roughly 6% 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 $3,606 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Basel hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Uster 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 Uster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.