Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aarau and Biel

For one person, living costs are similar in Aarau and in Biel: $2,819 and $2,882 a month, rent and utilities included.

135

Cost of Living Index in Aarau
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Aarau Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Biel
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Biel Living Index

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Aarau

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,819

/mo nomad

Biel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,882

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aarau and in Biel

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

A single person spends $2,819 per month in Aarau vs $2,882 in Biel, rent included.

Aarau $2,819
Biel $2,882

A couple spends around $4,634 per month in Aarau vs $4,522 in Biel, rent included.

Aarau $4,634
Biel $4,522

A family of three spends $6,448 per month in Aarau vs $6,163 in Biel, rent included.

Aarau $6,448
Biel $6,163

Aarau and Biel have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Aarau and Biel sit above the global median – Aarau by 109%, Biel by 113%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.35 CHF 24.83

$30.14 CHF 24.65

0.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 CHF 87.7

$108 CHF 88.2

-0.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.48 CHF 15.11

$18.51 CHF 15.14

-0.16%

Cappuccino

$6.05 CHF 4.95

$6.17 CHF 5.04

-1.94%

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

$5.33 CHF 4.36

$4.95 CHF 4.05

7.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CHF 4.09

$4.08 CHF 3.34

22.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 CHF 4.95

$7.82 CHF 6.39

-22.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.74 CHF 5.51

$4.83 CHF 3.95

39.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 CHF 1.68

$2.09 CHF 1.71

-1.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.77 CHF 3.08

$4.03 CHF 3.30

-6.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 CHF 2.20

$3.24 CHF 2.65

-16.98%

Eggs

$7.41 CHF 6.06

$7.57 CHF 6.19

-2.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.60 CHF 25.84

$22.23 CHF 18.18

42.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.80 CHF 23.56

$28.41 CHF 23.23

1.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.04 CHF 33.57

$39.40 CHF 32.22

4.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.36

$3.13 CHF 2.56

-7.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 CHF 1.48

$2.05 CHF 1.68

-12.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 CHF 1.98

$2.57 CHF 2.10

-5.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 CHF 4.59

$3.12 CHF 2.55

80.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 CHF 1.42

$1.50 CHF 1.23

15.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 CHF 1.62

$1.86 CHF 1.52

6.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.90

$2.06 CHF 1.69

13.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 CHF 0.92

$1.12 CHF 0.91

0.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.01 CHF 9.01

$10.85 CHF 8.88

1.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 CHF 8.56

$15.47 CHF 12.65

-32.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 CHF 2.06

$0.96 CHF 0.78

161.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 CHF 2.36

$1.87 CHF 1.53

54.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.23 CHF 4.27

$5.00 CHF 4.09

4.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$147 CHF 120

$95.7 CHF 78.3

53.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 CHF 3.77

$7.81 CHF 6.39

-40.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.96 CHF 2.42

$4.72 CHF 3.86

-37.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.6 CHF 50.4

$85.1 CHF 69.6

-27.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.81

$2.34 CHF 1.91

-5.56%

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

$38.7K CHF 31.6K

$39.3K CHF 32.1K

-1.56%

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

$39.5K CHF 32.3K

$35.5K CHF 29.1K

11.22%

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

$124 CHF 102

$136 CHF 111

-8.52%

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

$29.44 CHF 24.08

$36.33 CHF 29.72

-18.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 CHF 46.44

$52.8 CHF 43.16

7.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$101 CHF 82.6

$78.2 CHF 64.0

29.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.9 CHF 50.6

Cinema Ticket

$22.02 CHF 18.01

$22.31 CHF 18.24

-1.30%

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

$3,225 CHF 2,638

$2,738 CHF 2,240

17.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K CHF 20.1K

$41.7K CHF 34.1K

-41.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 CHF 74.7

$109 CHF 89.2

-16.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.5 CHF 59.3

$40.63 CHF 33.23

78.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 CHF 89.4

$139 CHF 113

-21.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 CHF 141

$215 CHF 176

-19.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 CHF 1,032

$1,279 CHF 1,046

-1.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 CHF 838

$1,150 CHF 941

-10.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,286 CHF 1,870

$2,325 CHF 1,901

-1.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,147 CHF 1,756

$2,065 CHF 1,689

3.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,897 CHF 8,095

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 10.2K

$7,910 CHF 6,470

57.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,098 CHF 5,806

$5,757 CHF 4,709

23.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.31

1.68

37.50%

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

Last update for Aarau: October 31, 2026

Last update for Biel: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aarau

$1K 36.3%

Biel

$1.2K 39.9% 12.3% $126

Groceries & Markets

Aarau

$595 21.1%

Biel

$555 19.2% 6.8% $40

Eating Out

Aarau

$456 16.2%

Biel

$456 15.8% 0.1% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aarau

$210 7.5%

Biel

$225 7.8% 6.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Aarau

$201 7.1%

Biel

$226 7.9% 12.8% $26

Getting Around

Aarau

$188 6.7%

Biel

$147 5.1% 21.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Aarau

$145 5.1%

Biel

$123 4.3% 15.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,262 in Aarau versus $1,279 in Biel. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 23% higher in Aarau. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in Aarau versus $108 in Biel. Groceries tell a different story – $595 in Aarau vs $555 in Biel – so Biel wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Aarau

🇨🇭 Biel

🕒 Local time

02:06 2:06 AM

Same time as Aarau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,191

56,378

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Aarau Biel 67 km

From you

Aarau
Biel

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

Aarau vs Biel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,229 per month in Aarau and $4,323 in Biel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,262 in Aarau and $1,279 in Biel. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Biel – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Public transport costs about 35% less in Biel. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,819 in Aarau and $2,882 in Biel. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Biel has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,819 in Aarau to $2,882 in Biel. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.