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: $3,741 in Basel versus $3,096 in Biel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,905 in Basel versus $4,763 in Biel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,069 in Basel versus $6,429 in Biel.

Living in Basel is roughly 21% more expensive than Biel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 179% above, Biel 131% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.45 CHF 24.09

$24.71 CHF 19.54

23.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$152 CHF 121

$113 CHF 89.3

35.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.99 CHF 15.81

$16.03 CHF 12.68

24.70%

Cappuccino

$6.65 CHF 5.26

$6.33 CHF 5.01

5.06%

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

$5.68 CHF 4.50

$5.32 CHF 4.21

6.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CHF 4.14

$5.06 CHF 4.00

3.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.58 CHF 7.57

$7.79 CHF 6.16

22.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 CHF 6.04

$6.87 CHF 5.43

11.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.75

$2.25 CHF 1.78

-1.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 CHF 3.03

$3.72 CHF 2.94

2.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 CHF 4.10

$4.28 CHF 3.38

21.03%

Eggs

$8.09 CHF 6.40

$7.51 CHF 5.94

7.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.36 CHF 22.43

$30.27 CHF 23.95

-6.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.13 CHF 29.37

$35.98 CHF 28.46

3.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.06 CHF 34.85

$50.9 CHF 40.22

-13.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 CHF 3.02

$3.28 CHF 2.59

16.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 CHF 2.11

$2.31 CHF 1.83

15.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.29

$2.98 CHF 2.36

39.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.53

$4.35 CHF 3.44

60.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 CHF 2.57

$2.49 CHF 1.97

30.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.34

$2.39 CHF 1.89

23.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CHF 2.00

$2.67 CHF 2.11

-5.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CHF 1.24

$0.89 CHF 0.70

76.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.73 CHF 9.28

$11.12 CHF 8.80

5.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 CHF 11.94

$12.63 CHF 9.99

19.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$2.40 CHF 1.90

-2.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CHF 2.41

$3.32 CHF 2.63

-8.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 CHF 3.60

$4.47 CHF 3.53

1.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.9

$109 CHF 86.3

-3.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 CHF 6.29

$12.54 CHF 9.92

-36.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.38

$4.05 CHF 3.20

5.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.8 CHF 67.8

$82.4 CHF 65.2

4.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.78

$2.15 CHF 1.70

4.19%

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

$39.6K CHF 31.3K

$31.3K CHF 24.8K

26.46%

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

$44.8K CHF 35.4K

$28.5K CHF 22.5K

57.16%

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

$309 CHF 244

$244 CHF 193

26.61%

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

$53.1 CHF 42.03

$36.50 CHF 28.87

45.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 CHF 47.79

$55.6 CHF 43.97

8.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.0 CHF 72.0

$114 CHF 90.3

-20.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.48 CHF 33.60

$73.2 CHF 57.9

-41.93%

Cinema Ticket

$23.06 CHF 18.24

$21.76 CHF 17.21

5.97%

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

$2,609 CHF 2,064

$2,865 CHF 2,266

-8.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K CHF 27.5K

$42.2K CHF 33.4K

-17.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 105

$141 CHF 111

-5.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.1 CHF 68.9

$45.49 CHF 35.98

91.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 138

$131 CHF 104

32.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$231 CHF 182

$159 CHF 126

45.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 CHF 1,682

$1,298 CHF 1,027

63.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 CHF 1,157

$1,126 CHF 890

29.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,757 CHF 2,971

$2,273 CHF 1,798

65.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,789 CHF 2,206

$1,871 CHF 1,480

49.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.9K CHF 14.2K

$9,986 CHF 7,899

79.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.3K CHF 10.5K

$8,438 CHF 6,674

57.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,988 CHF 6,318

$7,974 CHF 6,307

0.17%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Biel: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,126 in Basel and $1,298 in Biel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 0% 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: $152 in Basel vs $113 in Biel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $696 vs $672 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 21% 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 0% 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: $2,126 in Basel versus $1,298 in Biel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,609 in Basel versus $2,865 in Biel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% 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 $3,096 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 21% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.