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: $3,820 in Uster versus $3,653 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,621 in Uster versus $5,857 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,423 in Uster versus $8,062 in Basel.

Living in Uster is roughly 5% more expensive than Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Uster 185% above, Basel 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.20 CHF 23.81

$30.72 CHF 24.22

-1.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 117

$156 CHF 123

-4.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.43 CHF 14.53

$19.37 CHF 15.27

-4.85%

Cappuccino

$6.16 CHF 4.86

$6.75 CHF 5.32

-8.74%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.47

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 CHF 4.05

$5.02 CHF 3.96

2.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.59 CHF 7.56

$10.09 CHF 7.95

-4.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 CHF 5.55

$7.45 CHF 5.87

-5.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.75

$2.24 CHF 1.77

-0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 CHF 2.31

$3.73 CHF 2.94

-21.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.70 CHF 2.92

$4.99 CHF 3.94

-25.85%

Eggs

$7.43 CHF 5.86

$8.16 CHF 6.44

-8.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.01 CHF 22.87

$28.67 CHF 22.60

1.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.95 CHF 25.98

$35.93 CHF 28.33

-8.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$49.25 CHF 38.83

$43.12 CHF 34.00

14.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 CHF 2.78

$3.98 CHF 3.14

-11.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 CHF 1.45

$2.60 CHF 2.05

-29.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 CHF 2.46

$4.24 CHF 3.35

-26.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 CHF 4.13

$6.96 CHF 5.49

-24.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 CHF 2.03

$3.23 CHF 2.55

-20.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.82

$2.94 CHF 2.32

-21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 CHF 1.88

$2.51 CHF 1.98

-5.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CHF 1.10

$1.55 CHF 1.22

-10.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.99 CHF 8.67

$11.68 CHF 9.21

-5.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.65 CHF 9.19

$13.81 CHF 10.89

-15.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 CHF 2.06

$2.39 CHF 1.88

9.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 CHF 1.89

$3.16 CHF 2.49

-24.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.39 CHF 2.68

$4.58 CHF 3.61

-25.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.3 CHF 78.3

$105 CHF 82.4

-5.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 CHF 5.33

$7.99 CHF 6.30

-15.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.19 CHF 3.30

$4.31 CHF 3.40

-2.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 CHF 62.5

$87.2 CHF 68.8

-9.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 CHF 1.84

$2.23 CHF 1.75

4.48%

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

$41.0K CHF 32.3K

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

1.53%

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

$38.7K CHF 30.5K

$44.3K CHF 34.9K

-12.66%

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

$334 CHF 263

$306 CHF 241

9.16%

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

$35.59 CHF 28.06

$53.5 CHF 42.20

-33.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 CHF 46.83

$58.9 CHF 46.40

0.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.4 CHF 58.6

$90.3 CHF 71.2

-17.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.1 CHF 48.21

$42.50 CHF 33.51

43.86%

Cinema Ticket

$24.99 CHF 19.70

$22.72 CHF 17.91

9.99%

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

$3,119 CHF 2,459

$2,574 CHF 2,029

21.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.3K CHF 31.0K

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

15.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 116

$134 CHF 105

10.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.6 CHF 49.36

$88.3 CHF 69.6

-29.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 116

$181 CHF 143

-18.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 CHF 161

$227 CHF 179

-10.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 CHF 1,643

$2,112 CHF 1,665

-1.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 CHF 1,423

$1,519 CHF 1,197

18.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,969 CHF 2,341

$3,828 CHF 3,018

-22.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 CHF 1,956

$2,802 CHF 2,209

-11.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,179 CHF 5,660

$8,292 CHF 6,537

-13.42%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Basel: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,084 in Uster and $2,112 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $149 in Uster vs $156 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $643 vs $685 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 5% in total monthly costs ($3,820 vs $3,653 including rent). Basel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Basel earns 15% 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: $2,084 in Uster versus $2,112 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,119 in Uster versus $2,574 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Uster pay roughly 7% 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 $3,653 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 5% less than in Uster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.