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: $2,916 in Biel versus $3,566 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,536 in Biel versus $5,600 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,157 in Biel versus $7,634 in Basel.

Living in Biel costs roughly 18% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Biel 113% above, Basel 160% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.25 CHF 24.99

$29.08 CHF 23.25

7.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 CHF 88.2

$128 CHF 102

-13.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.96 CHF 14.36

$18.43 CHF 14.73

-2.55%

Cappuccino

$6.28 CHF 5.02

$6.42 CHF 5.14

-2.18%

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

$5.10 CHF 4.08

$6.57 CHF 5.26

-22.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 CHF 3.43

$5.99 CHF 4.79

-28.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 CHF 6.24

$9.03 CHF 7.22

-13.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 CHF 3.93

$10.04 CHF 8.02

-51.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.78

$2.38 CHF 1.91

-6.72%

White Bread (500g)

$4.06 CHF 3.25

$3.41 CHF 2.73

19.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.43 CHF 2.74

$3.29 CHF 2.63

4.26%

Eggs

$7.24 CHF 5.79

$7.97 CHF 6.37

-9.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.22 CHF 18.56

$26.60 CHF 21.27

-12.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.97 CHF 21.56

$27.57 CHF 22.05

-2.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.39 CHF 35.49

$42.77 CHF 34.20

3.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 CHF 2.58

$3.59 CHF 2.87

-10.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 CHF 1.76

$2.41 CHF 1.93

-8.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 CHF 1.97

$3.00 CHF 2.40

-17.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 CHF 2.63

$4.76 CHF 3.81

-30.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 CHF 1.20

$1.66 CHF 1.32

-9.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 CHF 1.52

$2.03 CHF 1.63

-6.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 CHF 1.77

$2.24 CHF 1.79

-1.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 CHF 0.91

$1.59 CHF 1.27

-28.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.05 CHF 8.83

$11.65 CHF 9.32

-5.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.93 CHF 12.74

$13.60 CHF 10.87

17.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 CHF 0.73

$2.60 CHF 2.08

-65.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 CHF 1.47

$3.06 CHF 2.44

-39.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.90 CHF 3.92

$4.48 CHF 3.58

9.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.0 CHF 76.0

$106 CHF 84.8

-10.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.00 CHF 6.40

$7.97 CHF 6.37

0.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.59 CHF 3.67

$4.81 CHF 3.84

-4.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.1 CHF 68.1

$87.9 CHF 70.3

-3.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.78

$2.24 CHF 1.79

-0.89%

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

$43.1K CHF 34.5K

$44.4K CHF 35.5K

-2.86%

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

$35.0K CHF 28.0K

$40.8K CHF 32.6K

-14.20%

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

$141 CHF 113

$303 CHF 242

-53.34%

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

$36.50 CHF 29.18

$53.4 CHF 42.67

-31.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CHF 41.33

$65.2 CHF 52.1

-20.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.9 CHF 61.5

$83.6 CHF 66.8

-7.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$60.1 CHF 48.08

Cinema Ticket

$22.20 CHF 17.75

$23.49 CHF 18.78

-5.49%

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

$2,665 CHF 2,131

$3,058 CHF 2,446

-12.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.5K CHF 30.0K

$33.6K CHF 26.8K

11.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 CHF 87.6

$150 CHF 120

-26.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.60 CHF 39.66

$81.4 CHF 65.1

-39.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 CHF 114

$167 CHF 134

-14.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$222 CHF 177

$200 CHF 160

10.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 CHF 1,034

$2,192 CHF 1,753

-41.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 CHF 914

$1,544 CHF 1,235

-26.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,278 CHF 1,822

$3,545 CHF 2,835

-35.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,045 CHF 1,635

$2,894 CHF 2,314

-29.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,821 CHF 7,853

$18.6K CHF 14.9K

-47.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,971 CHF 6,373

$14.5K CHF 11.6K

-44.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,625 CHF 4,498

$7,316 CHF 5,850

-23.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.68

2.43

-30.86%

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

Last update for Biel: August 17, 2026

Last update for Basel: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,293 in Biel and $2,192 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 30% 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: $110 in Biel vs $128 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $570 vs $601 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 22% 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 30% 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: $1,293 in Biel versus $2,192 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,665 in Biel versus $3,058 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% 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 $2,916 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 22% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.