Cost of Living Comparison Between Biel and Aarau Cost of Living Comparison Between Biel and Aarau

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,848 per month in Biel vs $2,838 in Aarau, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,556 per month in Biel vs $4,709 in Aarau, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,264 per month in Biel vs $6,580 in Aarau, rent included.

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

Both Biel and Aarau sit above the global median – Biel by 107%, Aarau by 106%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.57 CHF 24.94

$30.54 CHF 24.92

0.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 CHF 89.1

$110 CHF 89.8

-0.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.07 CHF 14.75

$18.17 CHF 14.83

-0.55%

Cappuccino

$6.02 CHF 4.91

$5.91 CHF 4.82

1.86%

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

$5.11 CHF 4.17

$5.40 CHF 4.40

-5.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 CHF 3.49

$4.86 CHF 3.96

-11.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 CHF 6.43

$6.14 CHF 5.01

28.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 CHF 3.96

$6.98 CHF 5.70

-30.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.80

$2.11 CHF 1.72

4.74%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 CHF 3.28

$3.79 CHF 3.09

5.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 CHF 2.68

$2.77 CHF 2.26

18.41%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.90

$7.49 CHF 6.11

-3.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.59 CHF 18.44

$31.56 CHF 25.76

-28.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.84 CHF 23.53

$29.58 CHF 24.14

-2.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.01 CHF 33.47

$41.82 CHF 34.13

-1.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CHF 2.56

$3.05 CHF 2.49

2.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 CHF 1.73

$1.74 CHF 1.42

21.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 2.06

$2.40 CHF 1.96

5.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 CHF 2.61

$5.94 CHF 4.85

-46.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 CHF 1.19

$1.76 CHF 1.43

-17.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CHF 1.48

$2.09 CHF 1.71

-12.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 CHF 1.68

$2.26 CHF 1.84

-8.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 CHF 0.92

$1.19 CHF 0.97

-5.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CHF 9.21

$11.15 CHF 9.10

1.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.36 CHF 12.53

$10.35 CHF 8.45

48.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 CHF 0.77

$2.64 CHF 2.15

-64.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 CHF 1.55

$3.04 CHF 2.48

-37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.84 CHF 3.95

$5.25 CHF 4.29

-7.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 CHF 80.2

$150 CHF 123

-34.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 CHF 6.59

$7.03 CHF 5.74

14.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.79 CHF 3.91

$3.39 CHF 2.76

41.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.8 CHF 70.0

$61.4 CHF 50.1

39.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.76

$2.22 CHF 1.81

-2.70%

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

$44.4K CHF 36.2K

$44.5K CHF 36.3K

-0.37%

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

$35.6K CHF 29.0K

$40.8K CHF 33.3K

-12.76%

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

$139 CHF 113

$123 CHF 100

12.83%

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

$35.74 CHF 29.17

$32.05 CHF 26.16

11.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.96 CHF 40.77

$57.2 CHF 46.69

-12.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.7 CHF 63.4

$101 CHF 82.3

-23.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$62.0 CHF 50.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.97 CHF 17.93

$22.26 CHF 18.16

-1.30%

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

$2,684 CHF 2,190

$3,245 CHF 2,648

-17.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.0K CHF 30.2K

$24.9K CHF 20.3K

48.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 CHF 88.5

$92.2 CHF 75.2

17.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.87 CHF 40.70

$73.2 CHF 59.7

-31.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 CHF 119

$110 CHF 89.8

32.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$222 CHF 182

$175 CHF 143

26.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 CHF 1,061

$1,309 CHF 1,069

-0.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 CHF 952

$1,060 CHF 865

9.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,277 CHF 1,858

$2,361 CHF 1,926

-3.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 CHF 1,716

$2,170 CHF 1,771

-3.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,937 CHF 8,110

$10.1K CHF 8,253

-1.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,145 CHF 6,647

$12.5K CHF 10.2K

-35.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,678 CHF 4,633

$7,171 CHF 5,852

-20.82%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Aarau: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,301 in Biel versus $1,309 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 26% higher in Aarau. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in Biel versus $110 in Aarau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $606 – making Biel the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 $4,272 per month in Biel and $4,256 in Aarau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aarau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in Biel and $110 in Aarau. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Aarau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,848 in Biel and $2,838 in Aarau. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Aarau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Aarau. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Biel makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.