Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Biel and Aarau

For one person, living costs are similar in Biel and in Aarau: $2,841 and $2,813 a month, rent and utilities included.

137

Cost of Living Index in Biel
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Biel Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Aarau
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Aarau Living Index

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Biel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,841

/mo nomad

Aarau

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Biel and in Aarau

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Biel and in Aarau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,841 per month in Biel vs $2,813 in Aarau, rent included.

Biel $2,841
Aarau $2,813

A couple spends around $4,464 per month in Biel vs $4,613 in Aarau, rent included.

Biel $4,464
Aarau $4,613

A family of three spends $6,086 per month in Biel vs $6,413 in Aarau, rent included.

Biel $6,086
Aarau $6,413

Biel and Aarau have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Biel and Aarau sit above the global median – Biel by 109%, Aarau by 107%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.78 CHF 24.65

$29.72 CHF 24.61

0.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 CHF 90.9

$107 CHF 89.0

2.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.20 CHF 15.07

$18.33 CHF 15.18

-0.71%

Cappuccino

$6.18 CHF 5.12

$5.90 CHF 4.89

4.75%

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

$5.19 CHF 4.30

$5.27 CHF 4.37

-1.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 CHF 3.59

$4.80 CHF 3.97

-9.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 CHF 6.60

$5.95 CHF 4.93

33.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 CHF 3.97

$6.48 CHF 5.37

-25.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.82

$2.07 CHF 1.72

5.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.04 CHF 3.34

$3.59 CHF 2.97

12.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.63

$2.67 CHF 2.21

18.73%

Eggs

$7.29 CHF 6.04

$7.06 CHF 5.85

3.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.06 CHF 18.26

$31.59 CHF 26.16

-30.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.61 CHF 22.86

$29.34 CHF 24.29

-5.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.54 CHF 32.74

$41.32 CHF 34.21

-4.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 CHF 2.64

$2.86 CHF 2.37

11.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.77

$1.70 CHF 1.41

25.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.06

$2.41 CHF 1.99

3.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 CHF 2.64

$5.75 CHF 4.76

-44.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 CHF 1.23

$1.70 CHF 1.41

-12.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.48

$1.94 CHF 1.61

-8.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 CHF 1.69

$2.29 CHF 1.90

-10.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 CHF 0.88

$1.11 CHF 0.92

-4.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.07 CHF 9.16

$10.84 CHF 8.98

2.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 CHF 12.65

$10.46 CHF 8.66

46.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 CHF 0.77

$2.56 CHF 2.12

-63.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 CHF 1.47

$2.88 CHF 2.38

-38.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.80 CHF 3.97

$4.95 CHF 4.10

-3.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.7 CHF 78.4

$147 CHF 122

-35.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.91 CHF 6.55

$4.51 CHF 3.74

75.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.65 CHF 3.85

$2.87 CHF 2.37

62.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.5 CHF 70.8

$60.8 CHF 50.3

40.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.83

$2.19 CHF 1.81

0.91%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.8K

$38.6K CHF 31.9K

2.84%

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

$34.3K CHF 28.4K

$38.6K CHF 32.0K

-11.12%

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

$134 CHF 111

$121 CHF 99.9

11.42%

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

$35.35 CHF 29.27

$28.73 CHF 23.78

23.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 CHF 42.65

$57.3 CHF 47.43

-10.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.5 CHF 62.5

$97.2 CHF 80.4

-22.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.5 CHF 50.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.03 CHF 18.24

$21.92 CHF 18.15

0.50%

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

$2,676 CHF 2,215

$3,172 CHF 2,626

-15.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.5K CHF 30.3K

$24.4K CHF 20.2K

49.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CHF 88.3

$90.1 CHF 74.6

18.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.85 CHF 33.82

$71.5 CHF 59.2

-42.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 CHF 114

$109 CHF 90.2

26.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$220 CHF 182

$168 CHF 139

31.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,231 CHF 1,019

$1,263 CHF 1,045

-2.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 CHF 930

$1,041 CHF 862

7.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,248 CHF 1,861

$2,272 CHF 1,881

-1.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,007 CHF 1,662

$2,155 CHF 1,784

-6.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,720 CHF 8,047

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,717 CHF 6,389

$12.1K CHF 10.1K

-36.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,640 CHF 4,669

$6,963 CHF 5,765

-19.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.68

2.31

-27.27%

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

Last update for Biel: October 25, 2026

Last update for Aarau: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Biel

$1.1K 39.6%

Aarau

$1K 37% 7.4% $83

Groceries & Markets

Biel

$549 19.3%

Aarau

$595 21.1% 8.3% $45

Eating Out

Biel

$455 16%

Aarau

$447 15.9% 1.8% $8

Clothing & Footwear

Biel

$228 8%

Aarau

$197 7% 13.3% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Biel

$221 7.8%

Aarau

$207 7.4% 6.6% $15

Getting Around

Biel

$145 5.1%

Aarau

$186 6.6% 28.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Biel

$120 4.2%

Aarau

$141 5% 17.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,231 in Biel versus $1,263 in Aarau. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 23% higher in Aarau. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $110 in Biel versus $107 in Aarau. Groceries tell a different story – $549 in Biel vs $595 in Aarau – so Biel wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Biel

🇨🇭 Aarau

🕒 Local time

04:08 4:08 AM

Same time as Biel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,378

21,191

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Biel Aarau 67 km

From you

Biel
Aarau

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Biel vs Aarau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,262 per month in Biel and $4,220 in Aarau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,231 in Biel and $1,263 in Aarau. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $110 in Biel and $107 in Aarau. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 36% less in Biel. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,841 in Biel and $2,813 in Aarau. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Biel has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,813 in Aarau to $2,841 in Biel. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.