Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Yens Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Yens

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,606 in Basel versus $3,459 in Yens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,819 in Basel versus $5,362 in Yens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,033 in Basel versus $7,264 in Yens.

Living in Basel is roughly 4% more expensive than in Yens, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 170% above, Yens 159% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.16 CHF 25.19

$30.31 CHF 24.51

2.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 125

$147 CHF 119

4.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.41 CHF 15.69

$18.91 CHF 15.29

2.64%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.44

$5.90 CHF 4.77

14.07%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.42

$5.46 CHF 4.41

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 CHF 4.21

$4.71 CHF 3.80

10.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 CHF 7.80

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 CHF 5.91

$7.49 CHF 6.05

-2.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.79

$2.22 CHF 1.80

-0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 CHF 3.13

$3.79 CHF 3.06

2.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.19 CHF 4.19

$4.45 CHF 3.60

16.63%

Eggs

$7.82 CHF 6.33

$7.42 CHF 6.00

5.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.51 CHF 23.05

$26.28 CHF 21.24

8.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.76 CHF 29.72

$28.80 CHF 23.29

27.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.22 CHF 35.75

$44.50 CHF 35.98

-0.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CHF 3.16

$3.62 CHF 2.93

8.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.21

$2.08 CHF 1.68

31.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CHF 3.38

$2.84 CHF 2.30

47.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.65

$6.61 CHF 5.34

5.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.64

$2.50 CHF 2.02

30.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.41

$2.36 CHF 1.91

26.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.04

$2.51 CHF 2.03

0.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$1.41 CHF 1.14

5.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 CHF 9.56

$11.07 CHF 8.95

6.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 CHF 11.06

$13.74 CHF 11.11

-0.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.96

$2.07 CHF 1.68

16.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.46

$3.10 CHF 2.50

-1.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 CHF 3.85

$3.96 CHF 3.20

20.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 85.0

$99.0 CHF 80.0

6.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 CHF 6.41

$7.73 CHF 6.25

2.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.36 CHF 3.52

$3.41 CHF 2.76

27.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 70.7

$67.2 CHF 54.4

29.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$2.21 CHF 1.79

-0.45%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

$40.3K CHF 32.6K

1.21%

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

$45.1K CHF 36.5K

$40.7K CHF 32.9K

10.98%

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

$302 CHF 244

$301 CHF 244

0.31%

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

$54.0 CHF 43.66

$51.1 CHF 41.31

5.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 47.60

$57.5 CHF 46.47

2.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.9 CHF 73.5

$88.9 CHF 71.9

2.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.38 CHF 33.46

Cinema Ticket

$23.17 CHF 18.73

$22.64 CHF 18.30

2.34%

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

$2,533 CHF 2,048

$2,534 CHF 2,049

-0.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

$33.4K CHF 27.0K

1.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$107 CHF 86.3

26.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.6 CHF 70.9

$68.6 CHF 55.5

27.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 CHF 145

$149 CHF 121

20.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$230 CHF 186

$183 CHF 148

25.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 CHF 1,701

$1,694 CHF 1,370

24.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 CHF 1,222

$1,448 CHF 1,170

4.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,742 CHF 3,025

$2,801 CHF 2,265

33.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 CHF 2,288

$2,436 CHF 1,970

16.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

$17.1K CHF 13.8K

9.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

$10.8K CHF 8,726

35.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,175 CHF 5,801

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Yens: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,103 in Basel and $1,694 in Yens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $154 in Basel vs $147 in Yens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $692 vs $622 per month, with Yens 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 Yens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yens wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Yens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,409 in Basel and $5,189 in Yens to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,103 in Basel versus $1,694 in Yens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,533 in Basel versus $2,534 in Yens. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Yens 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 Yens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,459 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Yens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Yens 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 Yens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.