Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Wil Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Wil

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,741 in Basel versus $3,528 in Wil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,905 in Basel versus $5,435 in Wil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,069 in Basel versus $7,342 in Wil.

Living in Basel is roughly 6% more expensive than Wil, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 179% above, Wil 164% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.45 CHF 24.09

$31.19 CHF 24.67

-2.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$152 CHF 121

$142 CHF 112

7.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.99 CHF 15.81

$17.42 CHF 13.78

14.75%

Cappuccino

$6.65 CHF 5.26

$6.27 CHF 4.96

6.06%

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

$5.68 CHF 4.50

$5.72 CHF 4.53

-0.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CHF 4.14

$5.14 CHF 4.06

1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.58 CHF 7.57

$8.44 CHF 6.68

13.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 CHF 6.04

$7.54 CHF 5.96

1.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.75

$2.20 CHF 1.74

0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 CHF 3.03

$3.67 CHF 2.90

4.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 CHF 4.10

$3.68 CHF 2.91

40.76%

Eggs

$8.09 CHF 6.40

$7.86 CHF 6.22

2.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.36 CHF 22.43

$27.58 CHF 21.82

2.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.13 CHF 29.37

$31.75 CHF 25.12

16.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.06 CHF 34.85

$50.9 CHF 40.28

-13.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 CHF 3.02

$3.67 CHF 2.90

3.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 CHF 2.11

$2.26 CHF 1.79

18.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.29

$2.47 CHF 1.95

68.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.53

$6.35 CHF 5.02

10.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 CHF 2.57

$2.60 CHF 2.06

24.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.34

$2.25 CHF 1.78

31.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CHF 2.00

$2.61 CHF 2.07

-3.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CHF 1.24

$1.09 CHF 0.86

44.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.73 CHF 9.28

$10.76 CHF 8.51

9.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 CHF 11.94

$11.95 CHF 9.45

26.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$2.17 CHF 1.72

8.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CHF 2.41

$2.28 CHF 1.81

33.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 CHF 3.60

$3.92 CHF 3.10

16.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.9

$98.8 CHF 78.1

6.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 CHF 6.29

$6.73 CHF 5.32

18.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.38

$4.12 CHF 3.26

3.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.8 CHF 67.8

$79.6 CHF 63.0

7.77%

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

$40.5K CHF 32.1K

-2.26%

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

$44.8K CHF 35.4K

$41.5K CHF 32.8K

7.96%

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

$309 CHF 244

$247 CHF 196

25.00%

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

$53.1 CHF 42.03

$58.7 CHF 46.43

-9.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 CHF 47.79

$53.1 CHF 41.97

13.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.0 CHF 72.0

$87.3 CHF 69.0

4.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.48 CHF 33.60

Cinema Ticket

$23.06 CHF 18.24

$31.25 CHF 24.72

-26.21%

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

$2,609 CHF 2,064

$2,801 CHF 2,215

-6.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K CHF 27.5K

$42.6K CHF 33.7K

-18.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 105

$150 CHF 118

-11.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.1 CHF 68.9

$73.8 CHF 58.3

18.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 138

$150 CHF 118

16.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$231 CHF 182

$235 CHF 186

-1.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 CHF 1,682

$1,709 CHF 1,352

24.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 CHF 1,157

$1,473 CHF 1,165

-0.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,757 CHF 2,971

$2,132 CHF 1,686

76.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,789 CHF 2,206

$2,449 CHF 1,937

13.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.9K CHF 14.2K

$13.7K CHF 10.8K

31.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.3K CHF 10.5K

$11.4K CHF 9,028

16.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,988 CHF 6,318

$4,503 CHF 3,562

77.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

2.5

2.00%

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

Last update for Basel: April 27, 2026

Last update for Wil: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,126 in Basel and $1,709 in Wil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 77% 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 $142 in Wil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $696 vs $648 per month, with Wil 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 Wil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wil wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Wil the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Basel pays 77% 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 $1,709 in Wil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,609 in Basel versus $2,801 in Wil. 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 $3,000. Wil 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 Wil delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,528 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Wil hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Wil 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 Wil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.