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: $3,653 in Basel versus $3,511 in Yens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,857 in Basel versus $5,311 in Yens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,062 in Basel versus $7,111 in Yens.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 173% above, Yens 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.72 CHF 24.22

$30.64 CHF 24.16

0.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$156 CHF 123

$145 CHF 114

7.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.37 CHF 15.27

$18.91 CHF 14.91

2.43%

Cappuccino

$6.75 CHF 5.32

$6.15 CHF 4.85

9.76%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.47

$5.34 CHF 4.21

6.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 3.96

$4.87 CHF 3.84

3.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.95

$9.92 CHF 7.82

1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.87

$7.43 CHF 5.86

0.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$2.17 CHF 1.71

3.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.94

$3.84 CHF 3.03

-2.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.94

$4.52 CHF 3.56

10.40%

Eggs

$8.16 CHF 6.44

$7.10 CHF 5.60

14.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 22.60

$26.46 CHF 20.86

8.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.93 CHF 28.33

$28.53 CHF 22.50

25.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.12 CHF 34.00

$43.82 CHF 34.55

-1.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.14

$3.64 CHF 2.87

9.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.05

$2.11 CHF 1.66

23.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.35

$2.81 CHF 2.22

50.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.49

$6.57 CHF 5.18

5.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$2.44 CHF 1.92

32.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$2.33 CHF 1.83

26.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$2.49 CHF 1.96

0.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$1.46 CHF 1.15

6.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 CHF 9.21

$10.93 CHF 8.62

6.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 10.89

$13.76 CHF 10.85

0.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.88

$2.02 CHF 1.59

18.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.49

$3.12 CHF 2.46

1.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.61

$3.95 CHF 3.11

15.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.4

$98.7 CHF 77.8

5.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.30

$8.10 CHF 6.38

-1.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.40

$3.37 CHF 2.65

27.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.8

$66.2 CHF 52.2

31.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.75

$2.19 CHF 1.73

1.83%

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

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

$40.0K CHF 31.6K

0.94%

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

$44.3K CHF 34.9K

$41.6K CHF 32.8K

6.48%

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

$306 CHF 241

$304 CHF 240

0.74%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.20

$51.1 CHF 40.31

4.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 46.40

$57.7 CHF 45.49

1.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 CHF 71.2

$89.6 CHF 70.7

0.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.51

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 17.91

$23.13 CHF 18.23

-1.77%

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

$2,574 CHF 2,029

$2,554 CHF 2,014

0.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

$33.7K CHF 26.6K

0.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 105

$107 CHF 84.7

24.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.3 CHF 69.6

$70.9 CHF 55.9

24.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 CHF 143

$151 CHF 119

19.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 179

$184 CHF 145

23.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CHF 1,665

$1,711 CHF 1,349

23.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 CHF 1,197

$1,451 CHF 1,144

4.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 CHF 3,018

$2,872 CHF 2,264

33.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,209

$2,427 CHF 1,913

15.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.0K

$15.7K CHF 12.4K

21.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

$10.6K CHF 8,331

34.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,537

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Yens: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Basel and $1,711 in Yens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $156 in Basel vs $145 in Yens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $618 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 $5,479 in Basel and $5,266 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: $2,112 in Basel versus $1,711 in Yens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Basel versus $2,554 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 $3,511 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.