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: $3,662 in Basel versus $3,120 in Biel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,770 in Basel versus $4,725 in Biel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,878 in Basel versus $6,330 in Biel.

Living in Basel is roughly 17% more expensive than Biel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 175% above, Biel 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.78 CHF 24.41

$24.31 CHF 19.28

26.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$151 CHF 120

$109 CHF 86.6

38.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.10 CHF 15.94

$16.01 CHF 12.70

25.55%

Cappuccino

$7.02 CHF 5.57

$6.15 CHF 4.88

14.15%

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

$5.74 CHF 4.55

$5.31 CHF 4.21

8.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CHF 4.15

$4.87 CHF 3.87

7.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.01 CHF 7.94

$7.65 CHF 6.06

30.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 CHF 5.89

$6.88 CHF 5.46

7.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.71

$2.18 CHF 1.73

-0.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.96

$3.77 CHF 2.99

-1.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.90 CHF 3.89

$4.26 CHF 3.38

15.02%

Eggs

$7.76 CHF 6.15

$7.54 CHF 5.98

2.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.65 CHF 22.72

$30.72 CHF 24.37

-6.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.21 CHF 29.51

$34.92 CHF 27.69

6.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.04 CHF 34.93

$51.7 CHF 41.01

-14.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 CHF 3.10

$3.36 CHF 2.66

16.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 CHF 2.10

$2.24 CHF 1.78

18.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 CHF 3.21

$3.01 CHF 2.38

34.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.08 CHF 5.62

$4.11 CHF 3.26

72.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 CHF 2.61

$2.48 CHF 1.97

32.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.34

$2.49 CHF 1.97

18.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.00

$2.60 CHF 2.07

-3.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.23

$0.90 CHF 0.71

72.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.89 CHF 9.43

$11.11 CHF 8.81

7.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 CHF 11.05

$13.56 CHF 10.76

2.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.92

$2.30 CHF 1.83

5.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CHF 2.43

$3.33 CHF 2.64

-8.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.77 CHF 3.79

$4.42 CHF 3.50

7.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 83.0

$110 CHF 87.3

-4.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.85 CHF 6.22

$12.54 CHF 9.94

-37.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.39

$4.23 CHF 3.36

1.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.9 CHF 68.1

$84.5 CHF 67.0

1.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$2.14 CHF 1.70

4.67%

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

$40.4K CHF 32.1K

$31.1K CHF 24.7K

30.00%

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

$45.6K CHF 36.2K

$28.6K CHF 22.6K

59.78%

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

$302 CHF 240

$245 CHF 194

23.36%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.47

$35.79 CHF 28.38

49.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 CHF 46.62

$56.0 CHF 44.44

4.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.0 CHF 72.2

$113 CHF 90.0

-19.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.16 CHF 33.44

$73.6 CHF 58.4

-42.69%

Cinema Ticket

$22.71 CHF 18.01

$22.57 CHF 17.90

0.62%

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

$2,604 CHF 2,065

$2,933 CHF 2,326

-11.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 27.5K

$42.6K CHF 33.8K

-18.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 105

$139 CHF 110

-4.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.7 CHF 71.1

$46.95 CHF 37.24

90.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 CHF 142

$132 CHF 105

36.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$231 CHF 183

$160 CHF 127

44.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 CHF 1,642

$1,289 CHF 1,022

60.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,499 CHF 1,189

$1,155 CHF 916

29.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,839 CHF 3,045

$2,303 CHF 1,826

66.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,849 CHF 2,260

$1,821 CHF 1,444

56.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.1K CHF 15.9K

$10.2K CHF 8,071

97.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.1K CHF 12.0K

$8,232 CHF 6,529

83.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,059 CHF 6,392

$7,807 CHF 6,191

3.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

1.88

35.64%

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

Last update for Basel: June 13, 2026

Last update for Biel: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,070 in Basel and $1,289 in Biel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 3% 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: $151 in Basel vs $109 in Biel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $691 vs $670 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 17% 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.

Basel pays 3% more on average, 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: $2,070 in Basel versus $1,289 in Biel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,604 in Basel versus $2,933 in Biel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% 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 $3,120 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 17% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.