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: $3,610 in Basel versus $3,470 in Yens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,659 in Basel versus $5,210 in Yens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,707 in Basel versus $6,951 in Yens.

Living in Basel is roughly 4% more expensive than in Yens, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 164% above, Yens 154% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 CHF 25.36

$28.97 CHF 23.81

6.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 103

$122 CHF 100

2.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.50 CHF 15.21

$16.03 CHF 13.17

15.41%

Cappuccino

$6.72 CHF 5.52

$6.10 CHF 5.01

10.16%

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

$6.38 CHF 5.24

$5.04 CHF 4.14

26.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 CHF 4.77

$4.11 CHF 3.38

41.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.89

$9.18 CHF 7.55

4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.74 CHF 8.00

$8.16 CHF 6.71

19.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.85

$2.24 CHF 1.84

0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 CHF 2.48

$3.07 CHF 2.52

-1.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 CHF 2.75

$3.18 CHF 2.62

5.03%

Eggs

$8.26 CHF 6.79

$7.37 CHF 6.06

12.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.04 CHF 21.40

$24.52 CHF 20.15

6.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.62 CHF 22.70

$28.06 CHF 23.06

-1.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.64 CHF 34.22

$39.21 CHF 32.22

6.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.92

$3.60 CHF 2.96

-1.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.87

$2.03 CHF 1.67

11.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.42

$2.64 CHF 2.17

11.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 CHF 3.81

$4.53 CHF 3.72

2.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 CHF 1.45

$1.70 CHF 1.40

4.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.65

$1.99 CHF 1.64

0.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 CHF 1.80

$2.05 CHF 1.69

6.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CHF 1.31

$1.31 CHF 1.08

21.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.43 CHF 9.39

$11.27 CHF 9.27

1.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 CHF 9.96

$12.42 CHF 10.21

-2.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CHF 2.07

$2.35 CHF 1.93

7.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CHF 2.49

$3.04 CHF 2.50

-0.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 CHF 3.76

$4.42 CHF 3.64

3.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 87.2

$99.3 CHF 81.6

6.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 CHF 6.49

$7.86 CHF 6.46

0.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.58 CHF 3.77

$4.65 CHF 3.82

-1.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.3 CHF 71.0

$86.8 CHF 71.3

-0.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$2.37 CHF 1.95

-4.64%

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

$43.2K CHF 35.5K

$44.6K CHF 36.7K

-3.27%

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

$40.5K CHF 33.3K

$39.4K CHF 32.4K

2.74%

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

$295 CHF 243

$283 CHF 233

4.32%

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

$53.7 CHF 44.17

$28.77 CHF 23.64

86.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 CHF 52.7

$51.4 CHF 42.23

24.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.3 CHF 69.2

$92.7 CHF 76.2

-9.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.7 CHF 47.40

$45.86 CHF 37.68

25.77%

Cinema Ticket

$23.28 CHF 19.13

$24.87 CHF 20.43

-6.39%

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

$3,047 CHF 2,504

$2,953 CHF 2,427

3.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.4K

$31.6K CHF 26.0K

5.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 119

0.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.2 CHF 65.9

$61.9 CHF 50.9

29.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 CHF 133

$141 CHF 116

14.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 163

$203 CHF 167

-2.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 CHF 1,720

$1,773 CHF 1,457

18.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 CHF 1,264

$1,479 CHF 1,215

4.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,533 CHF 2,904

$2,925 CHF 2,404

20.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 CHF 2,318

$2,547 CHF 2,093

10.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 15.0K

$16.6K CHF 13.7K

9.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.7K CHF 12.1K

$12.2K CHF 10.0K

20.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,077 CHF 5,816

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

1.95

24.62%

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

Last update for Basel: September 14, 2026

Last update for Yens: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,093 in Basel and $1,773 in Yens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $126 in Basel vs $122 in Yens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $587 vs $566 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 $5,415 in Basel and $5,205 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: $2,093 in Basel versus $1,773 in Yens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,047 in Basel versus $2,953 in Yens. 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 $2,000. 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 $3,470 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.