Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Biel and Zurich

For one person, living is cheaper in Biel: $2,826 a month against $4,451 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Biel
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Biel Living Index
217

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
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Zurich Living Index

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Biel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,826

/mo nomad

Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,451

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Biel and in Zurich

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 Zurich actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,826 per month in Biel vs $4,451 in Zurich, rent included.

Biel $2,826
Zurich $4,451

A couple spends around $4,452 per month in Biel vs $6,817 in Zurich, rent included.

Biel $4,452
Zurich $6,817

A family of three spends $6,078 per month in Biel vs $9,184 in Zurich, rent included.

Biel $6,078
Zurich $9,184

Biel is about 36% cheaper than Zurich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Biel and Zurich sit above the global median – Biel by 109%, Zurich by 230%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.08 CHF 24.77

$34.71 CHF 28.59

-13.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 CHF 88.9

$144 CHF 119

-25.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.28 CHF 15.06

$17.69 CHF 14.57

3.34%

Cappuccino

$6.07 CHF 5.00

$6.91 CHF 5.69

-12.16%

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

$5.17 CHF 4.26

$5.86 CHF 4.83

-11.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 CHF 3.40

$5.15 CHF 4.24

-19.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 CHF 6.40

$9.70 CHF 7.99

-19.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 CHF 4.04

$8.28 CHF 6.82

-40.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 CHF 1.72

$2.20 CHF 1.81

-5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 CHF 3.11

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 CHF 2.72

$3.68 CHF 3.03

-10.33%

Eggs

$7.19 CHF 5.92

$8.54 CHF 7.03

-15.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.93 CHF 18.06

$27.22 CHF 22.42

-19.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.12 CHF 22.34

$27.67 CHF 22.79

-1.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.83 CHF 31.98

$61.7 CHF 50.8

-37.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 CHF 2.52

$4.14 CHF 3.41

-26.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.68

$2.68 CHF 2.21

-23.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 CHF 2.02

$3.54 CHF 2.91

-30.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 CHF 2.55

$4.45 CHF 3.67

-30.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 CHF 1.21

$2.54 CHF 2.09

-42.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 CHF 1.49

$2.21 CHF 1.82

-18.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 CHF 1.68

$2.52 CHF 2.07

-19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 CHF 0.87

$1.24 CHF 1.02

-15.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.99 CHF 9.05

$10.62 CHF 8.75

3.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.90 CHF 12.28

$13.83 CHF 11.39

7.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 CHF 0.76

$2.66 CHF 2.19

-65.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 CHF 1.46

$3.18 CHF 2.62

-44.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.91 CHF 4.04

$5.39 CHF 4.44

-8.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.3 CHF 76.9

$106 CHF 87.2

-11.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 CHF 6.46

$7.93 CHF 6.54

-1.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.53 CHF 3.73

$4.50 CHF 3.71

0.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$83.0 CHF 68.4

$89.4 CHF 73.6

-7.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$2.28 CHF 1.87

-2.63%

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

$41.7K CHF 34.4K

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

6.99%

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

$34.8K CHF 28.7K

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

-11.88%

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

$137 CHF 113

$276 CHF 227

-50.24%

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

$35.74 CHF 29.43

$36.80 CHF 30.31

-2.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 CHF 41.30

$56.0 CHF 46.10

-10.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 CHF 63.6

$91.3 CHF 75.2

-15.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$60.0 CHF 49.43

Cinema Ticket

$21.92 CHF 18.05

$24.81 CHF 20.43

-11.65%

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

$2,620 CHF 2,158

$3,505 CHF 2,887

-25.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.2K CHF 30.6K

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

-10.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 CHF 89.2

$139 CHF 115

-22.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.74 CHF 33.56

$58.3 CHF 48.04

-30.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 CHF 112

$166 CHF 137

-18.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$219 CHF 180

$260 CHF 214

-15.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CHF 1,022

$2,916 CHF 2,402

-57.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 CHF 922

$2,308 CHF 1,901

-51.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,275 CHF 1,874

$5,918 CHF 4,874

-61.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,035 CHF 1,676

$4,092 CHF 3,370

-50.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,683 CHF 7,975

$26.8K CHF 22.1K

-63.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,818 CHF 6,439

$16.2K CHF 13.4K

-51.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,516 CHF 4,543

$7,928 CHF 6,529

-30.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.68

2.07

-18.84%

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

Last update for Biel: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zurich: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Biel

$1.1K 39.6%

Zurich

$2.3K 51.9% 106% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Biel

$538 19%

Zurich

$671 15.1% 24.7% $133

Eating Out

Biel

$454 16.1%

Zurich

$523 11.7% 15.1% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Biel

$227 8%

Zurich

$281 6.3% 23.8% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Biel

$223 7.9%

Zurich

$369 8.3% 65.2% $146

Getting Around

Biel

$143 5.1%

Zurich

$158 3.6% 10.1% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Biel

$121 4.3%

Zurich

$141 3.2% 16.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Biel versus $2,916 in Zurich. 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 44% higher in Zurich, 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 $108 in Biel versus $144 in Zurich. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $538 vs $671 – making Biel the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Biel

🇨🇭 Zurich

🕒 Local time

04:03 4:03 AM

Same time as Biel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,378

443,037

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Biel vs Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zurich is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,240 per month in Biel and $6,676 in Zurich. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Biel. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,620 per month in Biel and $3,505 in Zurich. 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 $2,826 in Biel and $4,451 in Zurich. 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 have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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