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: $3,715 in Uster versus $3,566 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,466 in Uster versus $5,581 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,216 in Uster versus $7,595 in Basel.

Living in Uster is roughly 4% more expensive than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Uster 170% above, Basel 160% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.82 CHF 25.06

$29.61 CHF 24.07

4.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 101

$128 CHF 104

-2.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.34 CHF 14.91

$18.47 CHF 15.01

-0.70%

Cappuccino

$6.30 CHF 5.12

$6.76 CHF 5.50

-6.80%

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

$5.60 CHF 4.55

$6.33 CHF 5.14

-11.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 CHF 3.95

$6.15 CHF 5.00

-20.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.75 CHF 7.11

$8.91 CHF 7.24

-1.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 CHF 5.58

$9.93 CHF 8.07

-30.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.82

$2.34 CHF 1.90

-4.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 CHF 2.76

$3.22 CHF 2.61

5.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.50 CHF 3.66

$3.36 CHF 2.73

33.93%

Eggs

$7.71 CHF 6.27

$8.03 CHF 6.53

-3.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$33.08 CHF 26.89

$26.94 CHF 21.90

22.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.96 CHF 24.36

$27.83 CHF 22.63

7.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.94 CHF 35.72

$41.82 CHF 34.00

5.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 CHF 3.03

$3.60 CHF 2.93

3.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 CHF 1.73

$2.35 CHF 1.91

-9.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 CHF 2.38

$3.12 CHF 2.54

-6.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 CHF 3.84

$4.84 CHF 3.93

-2.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 CHF 1.65

$1.73 CHF 1.40

17.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 CHF 1.88

$2.07 CHF 1.68

12.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 CHF 1.95

$2.33 CHF 1.89

3.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CHF 1.13

$1.63 CHF 1.33

-14.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.02 CHF 8.96

$11.39 CHF 9.26

-3.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.64 CHF 11.09

$12.41 CHF 10.09

9.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 CHF 2.62

$2.62 CHF 2.13

22.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 CHF 2.30

$3.21 CHF 2.61

-11.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.50 CHF 3.66

$4.60 CHF 3.74

-2.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 CHF 82.0

$108 CHF 88.2

-6.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 CHF 4.66

$8.16 CHF 6.63

-29.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.54 CHF 2.88

$4.67 CHF 3.80

-24.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.3 CHF 51.5

$85.9 CHF 69.8

-26.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.88

$2.27 CHF 1.85

2.20%

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

$43.2K CHF 35.1K

$43.8K CHF 35.6K

-1.56%

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

$40.4K CHF 32.9K

$39.8K CHF 32.4K

1.55%

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

$207 CHF 168

$304 CHF 247

-31.92%

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

$33.27 CHF 27.05

$54.2 CHF 44.05

-38.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.4 CHF 53.9

$64.7 CHF 52.6

2.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.2 CHF 62.0

$83.3 CHF 67.7

-8.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.53 CHF 37.83

$58.5 CHF 47.56

-20.46%

Cinema Ticket

$22.02 CHF 17.90

$23.78 CHF 19.34

-7.40%

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

$1,851 CHF 1,505

$3,055 CHF 2,484

-39.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.5K

$32.6K CHF 26.5K

3.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$171 CHF 139

$147 CHF 120

16.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.5 CHF 72.8

$81.7 CHF 66.4

9.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$154 CHF 125

$166 CHF 135

-7.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$181 CHF 147

$206 CHF 167

-12.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CHF 1,491

$2,095 CHF 1,703

-12.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 CHF 1,488

$1,529 CHF 1,243

19.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,057 CHF 2,485

$3,547 CHF 2,884

-13.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 CHF 2,017

$2,865 CHF 2,329

-13.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.7K CHF 13.6K

$18.2K CHF 14.8K

-8.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.6K CHF 10.2K

$14.8K CHF 12.1K

-15.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,920 CHF 5,626

$7,405 CHF 6,020

-6.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

2.43

-29.22%

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

Last update for Uster: August 29, 2026

Last update for Basel: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,834 in Uster and $2,095 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $125 in Uster vs $128 in Basel. Groceries flip the comparison at $639 vs $598, with Basel cheaper for home cooking.

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

Basel wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Uster. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Basel the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 7% 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: $1,834 in Uster versus $2,095 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,851 in Uster versus $3,055 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Uster. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 $3,566 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 4% less than in Uster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.