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: $3,096 in Biel versus $3,741 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,763 in Biel versus $5,905 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,429 in Biel versus $8,069 in Basel.

Living in Biel costs roughly 17% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Biel 131% above, Basel 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.71 CHF 19.52

$30.45 CHF 24.06

-18.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 CHF 89.2

$152 CHF 120

-25.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.03 CHF 12.67

$19.99 CHF 15.79

-19.81%

Cappuccino

$6.33 CHF 5.00

$6.65 CHF 5.25

-4.81%

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

$5.32 CHF 4.20

$5.68 CHF 4.49

-6.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 CHF 4.00

$5.23 CHF 4.13

-3.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 CHF 6.15

$9.58 CHF 7.57

-18.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 CHF 5.43

$7.64 CHF 6.04

-10.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.78

$2.21 CHF 1.75

1.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 CHF 2.94

$3.83 CHF 3.03

-2.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 CHF 3.38

$5.18 CHF 4.09

-17.37%

Eggs

$7.51 CHF 5.94

$8.09 CHF 6.39

-7.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.27 CHF 23.92

$28.36 CHF 22.41

6.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.98 CHF 28.43

$37.13 CHF 29.33

-3.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.9 CHF 40.17

$44.06 CHF 34.81

15.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 CHF 2.59

$3.81 CHF 3.01

-13.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.83

$2.67 CHF 2.11

-13.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.36

$4.15 CHF 3.28

-28.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 CHF 3.44

$6.99 CHF 5.52

-37.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 1.97

$3.24 CHF 2.56

-23.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 CHF 1.89

$2.96 CHF 2.34

-19.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CHF 2.11

$2.53 CHF 2.00

5.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 CHF 0.70

$1.57 CHF 1.24

-43.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CHF 8.79

$11.73 CHF 9.27

-5.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 CHF 9.98

$15.10 CHF 11.93

-16.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 CHF 1.89

$2.35 CHF 1.85

2.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 CHF 2.63

$3.05 CHF 2.41

8.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 CHF 3.53

$4.55 CHF 3.60

-1.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 CHF 86.2

$105 CHF 82.8

4.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.54 CHF 9.90

$7.96 CHF 6.29

57.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.05 CHF 3.20

$4.28 CHF 3.38

-5.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$82.4 CHF 65.1

$85.8 CHF 67.8

-3.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$2.24 CHF 1.77

-4.02%

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

$31.3K CHF 24.8K

$39.6K CHF 31.3K

-20.93%

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

$28.5K CHF 22.5K

$44.8K CHF 35.4K

-36.37%

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

$244 CHF 193

$309 CHF 244

-21.02%

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

$36.50 CHF 28.83

$53.1 CHF 41.98

-31.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 CHF 43.92

$60.4 CHF 47.73

-7.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$114 CHF 90.2

$91.0 CHF 71.9

25.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$73.2 CHF 57.8

$42.48 CHF 33.56

72.20%

Cinema Ticket

$21.76 CHF 17.19

$23.06 CHF 18.22

-5.64%

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

$2,865 CHF 2,263

$2,609 CHF 2,061

9.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.2K CHF 33.4K

$34.8K CHF 27.5K

21.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 CHF 111

$133 CHF 105

6.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.49 CHF 35.94

$87.1 CHF 68.8

-47.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 CHF 104

$174 CHF 138

-24.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 CHF 126

$231 CHF 182

-31.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 CHF 1,025

$2,126 CHF 1,680

-38.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 CHF 889

$1,463 CHF 1,156

-23.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,273 CHF 1,795

$3,757 CHF 2,968

-39.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 CHF 1,478

$2,789 CHF 2,203

-32.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,986 CHF 7,889

$17.9K CHF 14.1K

-44.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,438 CHF 6,666

$13.3K CHF 10.5K

-36.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,974 CHF 6,299

$7,988 CHF 6,310

-0.17%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Basel: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,298 in Biel and $2,126 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 0% 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: $113 in Biel vs $152 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $672 vs $696 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 21% 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 0% 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: $1,298 in Biel versus $2,126 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,865 in Biel versus $2,609 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% 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 $3,096 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 21% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.