Cost of Living Comparison Between Biel and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Biel and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,120 in Biel versus $3,662 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,725 in Biel versus $5,770 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,330 in Biel versus $7,878 in Basel.

Living in Biel costs roughly 15% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Biel 134% above, Basel 175% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.31 CHF 19.28

$30.78 CHF 24.41

-21.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 CHF 86.6

$151 CHF 120

-27.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.01 CHF 12.70

$20.10 CHF 15.94

-20.35%

Cappuccino

$6.15 CHF 4.88

$7.02 CHF 5.57

-12.39%

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

$5.31 CHF 4.21

$5.74 CHF 4.55

-7.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 CHF 3.87

$5.23 CHF 4.15

-6.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.65 CHF 6.06

$10.01 CHF 7.94

-23.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 CHF 5.46

$7.43 CHF 5.89

-7.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.73

$2.16 CHF 1.71

0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.77 CHF 2.99

$3.73 CHF 2.96

1.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.26 CHF 3.38

$4.90 CHF 3.89

-13.06%

Eggs

$7.54 CHF 5.98

$7.76 CHF 6.15

-2.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.72 CHF 24.37

$28.65 CHF 22.72

7.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$34.92 CHF 27.69

$37.21 CHF 29.51

-6.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.7 CHF 41.01

$44.04 CHF 34.93

17.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 CHF 2.66

$3.90 CHF 3.10

-13.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.78

$2.65 CHF 2.10

-15.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 CHF 2.38

$4.05 CHF 3.21

-25.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 CHF 3.26

$7.08 CHF 5.62

-41.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 CHF 1.97

$3.29 CHF 2.61

-24.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 1.97

$2.96 CHF 2.34

-15.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CHF 2.07

$2.52 CHF 2.00

3.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 CHF 0.71

$1.55 CHF 1.23

-41.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.11 CHF 8.81

$11.89 CHF 9.43

-6.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.56 CHF 10.76

$13.93 CHF 11.05

-2.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 CHF 1.83

$2.42 CHF 1.92

-4.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 CHF 2.64

$3.06 CHF 2.43

8.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.42 CHF 3.50

$4.77 CHF 3.79

-7.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 CHF 87.3

$105 CHF 83.0

5.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.54 CHF 9.94

$7.85 CHF 6.22

59.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.23 CHF 3.36

$4.28 CHF 3.39

-1.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$84.5 CHF 67.0

$85.9 CHF 68.1

-1.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.70

$2.24 CHF 1.77

-4.46%

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

$31.1K CHF 24.7K

$40.4K CHF 32.1K

-23.08%

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

$28.6K CHF 22.6K

$45.6K CHF 36.2K

-37.41%

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

$245 CHF 194

$302 CHF 240

-18.94%

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

$35.79 CHF 28.38

$53.5 CHF 42.47

-33.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 CHF 44.44

$58.8 CHF 46.62

-4.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$113 CHF 90.0

$91.0 CHF 72.2

24.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$73.6 CHF 58.4

$42.16 CHF 33.44

74.50%

Cinema Ticket

$22.57 CHF 17.90

$22.71 CHF 18.01

-0.62%

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

$2,933 CHF 2,326

$2,604 CHF 2,065

12.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.6K CHF 33.8K

$34.6K CHF 27.5K

23.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 110

$133 CHF 105

4.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 CHF 37.24

$89.7 CHF 71.1

-47.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 CHF 105

$180 CHF 142

-26.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 CHF 127

$231 CHF 183

-30.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 CHF 1,022

$2,070 CHF 1,642

-37.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 CHF 916

$1,499 CHF 1,189

-22.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,303 CHF 1,826

$3,839 CHF 3,045

-40.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 CHF 1,444

$2,849 CHF 2,260

-36.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.2K CHF 8,071

$20.1K CHF 15.9K

-49.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,232 CHF 6,529

$15.1K CHF 12.0K

-45.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,807 CHF 6,191

$8,059 CHF 6,392

-3.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.88

2.55

-26.27%

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

Last update for Biel: June 16, 2026

Last update for Basel: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,289 in Biel and $2,070 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $109 in Biel vs $151 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $670 vs $691 per month, with Biel 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

Biel vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Biel wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Biel the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Basel earns 3% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,289 in Biel versus $2,070 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,933 in Biel versus $2,604 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Biel 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 Biel delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,120 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Biel hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Biel and Basel 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 Biel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.