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: $3,706 in Basel versus $3,585 in Wil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,904 in Basel versus $5,464 in Wil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,102 in Basel versus $7,343 in Wil.

Living in Basel is roughly 3% more expensive than Wil, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 176% above, Wil 167% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.07 CHF 24.67

$30.33 CHF 24.08

2.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$155 CHF 123

$139 CHF 111

11.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.81 CHF 15.72

$17.54 CHF 13.92

12.94%

Cappuccino

$6.98 CHF 5.54

$6.29 CHF 4.99

10.97%

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

$5.69 CHF 4.52

$5.70 CHF 4.52

-0.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CHF 3.97

$5.15 CHF 4.09

-2.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 CHF 7.78

$8.43 CHF 6.69

16.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 CHF 6.07

$7.45 CHF 5.91

2.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.76

$2.30 CHF 1.83

-3.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 CHF 3.05

$3.84 CHF 3.05

0.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.00 CHF 3.97

$3.66 CHF 2.91

36.61%

Eggs

$8.00 CHF 6.35

$7.83 CHF 6.22

2.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.50 CHF 22.62

$28.12 CHF 22.32

1.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.38 CHF 28.88

$32.98 CHF 26.18

10.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.61 CHF 35.42

$51.0 CHF 40.47

-12.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CHF 3.14

$3.70 CHF 2.94

6.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 CHF 2.14

$2.26 CHF 1.80

19.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.37

$2.54 CHF 2.01

66.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.84 CHF 5.43

$6.23 CHF 4.95

9.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.50

$2.60 CHF 2.07

21.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CHF 2.27

$2.32 CHF 1.84

23.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CHF 2.09

$2.70 CHF 2.15

-2.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CHF 1.19

$1.15 CHF 0.91

30.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.55 CHF 9.17

$10.75 CHF 8.53

7.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.89 CHF 11.03

$11.57 CHF 9.19

20.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 CHF 1.88

$2.24 CHF 1.78

5.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CHF 2.43

$2.27 CHF 1.80

34.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 CHF 3.71

$3.89 CHF 3.09

20.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 85.7

$98.7 CHF 78.3

9.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.06 CHF 6.40

$6.83 CHF 5.42

18.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.40

$4.25 CHF 3.38

0.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 69.2

$81.0 CHF 64.3

7.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.76

$2.13 CHF 1.69

4.23%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.7K

$40.3K CHF 32.0K

-0.85%

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

$44.8K CHF 35.5K

$40.9K CHF 32.4K

9.53%

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

$308 CHF 245

$244 CHF 194

26.13%

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

$55.1 CHF 43.74

$60.1 CHF 47.70

-8.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 CHF 47.51

$54.2 CHF 43.05

10.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.5 CHF 71.8

$88.5 CHF 70.2

2.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.81 CHF 33.19

Cinema Ticket

$23.10 CHF 18.34

$30.60 CHF 24.29

-24.51%

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

$2,555 CHF 2,029

$2,854 CHF 2,266

-10.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.2K CHF 27.2K

$42.3K CHF 33.6K

-19.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 106

$150 CHF 119

-11.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.4 CHF 68.6

$71.9 CHF 57.1

20.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$175 CHF 139

$151 CHF 120

16.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$234 CHF 186

$236 CHF 188

-0.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 CHF 1,672

$1,728 CHF 1,372

21.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CHF 1,178

$1,443 CHF 1,146

2.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,757 CHF 2,982

$2,123 CHF 1,686

76.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,891 CHF 2,295

$2,478 CHF 1,967

16.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.7K CHF 14.8K

$16.0K CHF 12.7K

16.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.0K CHF 11.1K

$12.8K CHF 10.2K

8.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,072 CHF 6,408

$4,489 CHF 3,563

79.83%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Wil: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,106 in Basel and $1,728 in Wil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 80% 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: $155 in Basel vs $139 in Wil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $691 vs $659 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 3% 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 80% 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: $2,106 in Basel versus $1,728 in Wil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,555 in Basel versus $2,854 in Wil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% 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 $3,585 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 3% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.