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: $2,862 in Biel versus $3,548 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,510 in Biel versus $5,573 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,157 in Biel versus $7,599 in Basel.

Living in Biel costs roughly 19% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Biel 114% above, Basel 165% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.59 CHF 24.61

$30.00 CHF 24.95

-1.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 CHF 88.6

$125 CHF 104

-14.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.30 CHF 15.22

$18.03 CHF 15.00

1.50%

Cappuccino

$6.17 CHF 5.13

$6.54 CHF 5.44

-5.66%

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

$5.01 CHF 4.16

$6.48 CHF 5.39

-22.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 CHF 3.43

$5.77 CHF 4.80

-28.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.76 CHF 6.46

$9.22 CHF 7.66

-15.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 CHF 4.07

$9.42 CHF 7.84

-48.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.79

$2.20 CHF 1.83

-2.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.99 CHF 3.31

$3.09 CHF 2.57

29.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 CHF 2.74

$3.34 CHF 2.77

-1.50%

Eggs

$7.08 CHF 5.89

$7.70 CHF 6.40

-8.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.61 CHF 18.80

$26.14 CHF 21.73

-13.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.65 CHF 22.99

$27.34 CHF 22.73

1.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.52 CHF 32.03

$41.29 CHF 34.33

-6.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 CHF 2.58

$3.63 CHF 3.02

-14.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 CHF 1.69

$2.27 CHF 1.89

-10.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.07

$3.03 CHF 2.52

-17.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 CHF 2.67

$4.70 CHF 3.91

-31.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 CHF 1.18

$1.75 CHF 1.46

-19.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 CHF 1.46

$1.98 CHF 1.65

-11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 CHF 1.66

$2.17 CHF 1.81

-8.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 CHF 0.88

$1.61 CHF 1.34

-34.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.63 CHF 8.84

$11.41 CHF 9.49

-6.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 CHF 12.32

$12.15 CHF 10.10

21.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 CHF 0.76

$2.45 CHF 2.04

-62.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 CHF 1.48

$2.98 CHF 2.48

-39.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.77 CHF 3.97

$4.82 CHF 4.01

-1.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.5 CHF 78.6

$103 CHF 85.4

-8.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.86 CHF 6.54

$7.68 CHF 6.39

2.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.64 CHF 3.86

$4.70 CHF 3.91

-1.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$84.3 CHF 70.1

$82.9 CHF 68.9

1.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.83

$2.31 CHF 1.92

-4.33%

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

$41.9K CHF 34.8K

$42.0K CHF 34.9K

-0.21%

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

$34.0K CHF 28.3K

$39.3K CHF 32.7K

-13.40%

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

$137 CHF 114

$286 CHF 238

-52.24%

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

$35.28 CHF 29.34

$46.01 CHF 38.26

-23.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 CHF 43.21

$63.0 CHF 52.4

-17.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.8 CHF 62.2

$83.2 CHF 69.2

-10.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.2 CHF 47.54

Cinema Ticket

$22.05 CHF 18.34

$22.81 CHF 18.97

-3.33%

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

$2,615 CHF 2,174

$2,915 CHF 2,424

-10.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.3K CHF 31.0K

$32.5K CHF 27.0K

14.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 CHF 88.2

$147 CHF 122

-28.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 CHF 33.30

$79.8 CHF 66.4

-49.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 CHF 114

$164 CHF 137

-16.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$213 CHF 177

$197 CHF 164

8.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 CHF 1,030

$1,943 CHF 1,616

-36.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 CHF 936

$1,503 CHF 1,250

-25.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,251 CHF 1,872

$3,544 CHF 2,947

-36.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,007 CHF 1,669

$2,822 CHF 2,346

-28.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,747 CHF 8,106

$18.3K CHF 15.2K

-46.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,907 CHF 6,575

$14.4K CHF 12.0K

-45.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,538 CHF 4,605

$6,904 CHF 5,741

-19.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.68

2.42

-30.58%

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

Last update for Biel: October 4, 2026

Last update for Basel: October 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,239 in Biel and $1,943 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 25% 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: $107 in Biel vs $125 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $583 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 24% 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, salaries run 25% lower in Basel. 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: $1,239 in Biel versus $1,943 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,615 in Biel versus $2,915 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% 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 $2,862 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 24% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.