Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Biel and Lugano

For one person, living is cheaper in Biel: $2,841 a month against $3,345 in Lugano, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Biel
Learn more

Biel Living Index
162

Cost of Living Index in Lugano
Learn more

Lugano Living Index

Jump to prices

Biel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,841

/mo nomad

Lugano

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,345

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Biel and in Lugano

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Biel and in Lugano actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,841 per month in Biel vs $3,345 in Lugano, rent included.

Biel $2,841
Lugano $3,345

A couple spends around $4,464 per month in Biel vs $5,484 in Lugano, rent included.

Biel $4,464
Lugano $5,484

A family of three spends $6,086 per month in Biel vs $7,624 in Lugano, rent included.

Biel $6,086
Lugano $7,624

Biel is about 15% cheaper than Lugano, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Biel and Lugano sit above the global median – Biel by 109%, Lugano by 146%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.78 CHF 24.65

$35.07 CHF 29.03

-15.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 CHF 90.9

$179 CHF 149

-38.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.20 CHF 15.07

$19.20 CHF 15.89

-5.21%

Cappuccino

$6.18 CHF 5.12

$4.74 CHF 3.93

30.38%

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

$5.19 CHF 4.30

$5.30 CHF 4.39

-2.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 CHF 3.59

$4.26 CHF 3.53

1.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 CHF 6.60

$9.65 CHF 7.99

-17.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 CHF 3.97

$7.34 CHF 6.07

-34.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.82

$2.27 CHF 1.88

-3.52%

White Bread (500g)

$4.04 CHF 3.34

$3.76 CHF 3.11

7.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.63

$4.16 CHF 3.45

-23.80%

Eggs

$7.29 CHF 6.04

$7.31 CHF 6.06

-0.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.06 CHF 18.26

$25.97 CHF 21.50

-15.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.61 CHF 22.86

$28.73 CHF 23.79

-3.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.54 CHF 32.74

$40.41 CHF 33.46

-2.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 CHF 2.64

$3.35 CHF 2.78

-4.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.77

$1.70 CHF 1.41

25.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.06

$2.50 CHF 2.07

-0.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 CHF 2.64

$6.52 CHF 5.40

-51.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 CHF 1.23

$1.86 CHF 1.54

-19.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.48

$2.12 CHF 1.75

-16.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 CHF 1.69

$2.49 CHF 2.06

-18.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 CHF 0.88

$1.19 CHF 0.98

-10.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.07 CHF 9.16

$11.01 CHF 9.11

0.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 CHF 12.65

$14.54 CHF 12.04

5.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 CHF 0.77

$3.23 CHF 2.67

-70.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 CHF 1.47

$4.14 CHF 3.43

-57.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.80 CHF 3.97

$3.05 CHF 2.53

57.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.7 CHF 78.4

$62.8 CHF 52.0

50.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.91 CHF 6.55

$7.41 CHF 6.13

6.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.65 CHF 3.85

$5.40 CHF 4.47

-13.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.5 CHF 70.8

$77.5 CHF 64.1

10.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.83

$2.25 CHF 1.86

-1.78%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.8K

$39.3K CHF 32.6K

0.83%

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

$34.3K CHF 28.4K

$39.1K CHF 32.4K

-12.23%

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

$134 CHF 111

$303 CHF 251

-55.56%

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

$35.35 CHF 29.27

$24.90 CHF 20.61

41.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 CHF 42.65

$49.00 CHF 40.57

5.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.5 CHF 62.5

$73.7 CHF 61.0

2.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.07 CHF 29.86

Cinema Ticket

$22.03 CHF 18.24

$20.63 CHF 17.08

6.79%

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

$2,676 CHF 2,215

$3,192 CHF 2,643

-16.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.5K CHF 30.3K

$37.9K CHF 31.3K

-3.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CHF 88.3

$109 CHF 90.6

-2.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.85 CHF 33.82

$48.85 CHF 40.44

-16.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 CHF 114

$163 CHF 135

-15.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$220 CHF 182

$171 CHF 142

28.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,231 CHF 1,019

$1,898 CHF 1,571

-35.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 CHF 930

$1,420 CHF 1,176

-20.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,248 CHF 1,861

$3,851 CHF 3,189

-41.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,007 CHF 1,662

$2,906 CHF 2,406

-30.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,720 CHF 8,047

$15.2K CHF 12.6K

-35.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,717 CHF 6,389

$9,375 CHF 7,762

-17.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,640 CHF 4,669

$6,543 CHF 5,417

-13.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.68

2.37

-29.11%

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

Last update for Biel: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lugano: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Biel

$1.1K 39.6%

Lugano

$1.4K 42.4% 26.4% $296

Groceries & Markets

Biel

$549 19.3%

Lugano

$606 18.1% 10.3% $57

Eating Out

Biel

$455 16%

Lugano

$496 14.8% 9.2% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Biel

$228 8%

Lugano

$222 6.6% 2.6% $5.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Biel

$221 7.8%

Lugano

$377 11.3% 70.1% $155

Getting Around

Biel

$145 5.1%

Lugano

$109 3.3% 24.5% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Biel

$120 4.2%

Lugano

$115 3.4% 3.9% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,231 in Biel versus $1,898 in Lugano. 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 16% higher in Lugano, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $110 in Biel versus $179 in Lugano. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $549 vs $606 – making Biel the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Biel

🇨🇭 Lugano

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

Same time as Biel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,378

63,583

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Biel Lugano 180 km

From you

Biel
Lugano

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Lugano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lugano is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,262 per month in Biel and $5,017 in Lugano. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Biel, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,231 there versus $1,898 in Lugano.

Public transport costs about 34% less in Lugano. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,676 per month in Biel and $3,192 in Lugano. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,841 in Biel and $3,345 in Lugano. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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