Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Biel Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Biel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,548 in Basel versus $2,862 in Biel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,573 in Basel versus $4,510 in Biel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,599 in Basel versus $6,157 in Biel.

Living in Basel is roughly 24% more expensive than in Biel, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 165% above, Biel 114% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.00 CHF 24.95

$29.59 CHF 24.61

1.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 104

$107 CHF 88.6

17.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.03 CHF 15.00

$18.30 CHF 15.22

-1.48%

Cappuccino

$6.54 CHF 5.44

$6.17 CHF 5.13

6.00%

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

$6.48 CHF 5.39

$5.01 CHF 4.16

29.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 CHF 4.80

$4.12 CHF 3.43

40.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.22 CHF 7.66

$7.76 CHF 6.46

18.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.42 CHF 7.84

$4.89 CHF 4.07

92.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.83

$2.15 CHF 1.79

2.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 CHF 2.57

$3.99 CHF 3.31

-22.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 CHF 2.77

$3.29 CHF 2.74

1.52%

Eggs

$7.70 CHF 6.40

$7.08 CHF 5.89

8.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.14 CHF 21.73

$22.61 CHF 18.80

15.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.34 CHF 22.73

$27.65 CHF 22.99

-1.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.29 CHF 34.33

$38.52 CHF 32.03

7.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 CHF 3.02

$3.11 CHF 2.58

16.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.89

$2.03 CHF 1.69

11.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 CHF 2.52

$2.49 CHF 2.07

21.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 CHF 3.91

$3.21 CHF 2.67

46.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 CHF 1.46

$1.41 CHF 1.18

24.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 CHF 1.65

$1.76 CHF 1.46

12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 CHF 1.81

$1.99 CHF 1.66

9.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 CHF 1.34

$1.06 CHF 0.88

51.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.41 CHF 9.49

$10.63 CHF 8.84

7.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 CHF 10.10

$14.81 CHF 12.32

-17.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CHF 2.04

$0.92 CHF 0.76

166.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 CHF 2.48

$1.79 CHF 1.48

66.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.82 CHF 4.01

$4.77 CHF 3.97

1.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 CHF 85.4

$94.5 CHF 78.6

8.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 CHF 6.39

$7.86 CHF 6.54

-2.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.70 CHF 3.91

$4.64 CHF 3.86

1.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$82.9 CHF 68.9

$84.3 CHF 70.1

-1.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.92

$2.21 CHF 1.83

4.52%

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

$42.0K CHF 34.9K

$41.9K CHF 34.8K

0.21%

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

$39.3K CHF 32.7K

$34.0K CHF 28.3K

15.47%

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

$286 CHF 238

$137 CHF 114

109.36%

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

$46.01 CHF 38.26

$35.28 CHF 29.34

30.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.0 CHF 52.4

$52.0 CHF 43.21

21.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.2 CHF 69.2

$74.8 CHF 62.2

11.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.2 CHF 47.54

Cinema Ticket

$22.81 CHF 18.97

$22.05 CHF 18.34

3.45%

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

$2,915 CHF 2,424

$2,615 CHF 2,174

11.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.5K CHF 27.0K

$37.3K CHF 31.0K

-12.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 122

$106 CHF 88.2

38.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.8 CHF 66.4

$40.05 CHF 33.30

99.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 CHF 137

$137 CHF 114

20.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$197 CHF 164

$213 CHF 177

-7.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 CHF 1,616

$1,239 CHF 1,030

56.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 CHF 1,250

$1,126 CHF 936

33.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,544 CHF 2,947

$2,251 CHF 1,872

57.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,822 CHF 2,346

$2,007 CHF 1,669

40.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K CHF 15.2K

$9,747 CHF 8,106

88.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.4K CHF 12.0K

$7,907 CHF 6,575

81.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,904 CHF 5,741

$5,538 CHF 4,605

24.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.42

1.68

44.05%

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

Last update for Basel: October 3, 2026

Last update for Biel: October 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,943 in Basel and $1,239 in Biel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 25% 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: $125 in Basel vs $107 in Biel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $583 vs $544 per month, with Biel 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

Basel vs Biel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Biel wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Biel the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 25% higher in Basel, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,943 in Basel versus $1,239 in Biel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,915 in Basel versus $2,615 in Biel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Biel 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 Biel delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,862 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Biel hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Biel 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 Biel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.