Cost of Living Comparison Between Meilen and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Meilen and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,456 in Meilen versus $3,610 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,967 in Meilen versus $5,659 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,477 in Meilen versus $7,707 in Basel.

Living in Meilen costs roughly 4% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Meilen 153% above, Basel 164% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.64 CHF 25.29

$30.86 CHF 25.48

-0.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 100

$126 CHF 104

-3.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.67 CHF 13.76

$18.50 CHF 15.27

-9.89%

Cappuccino

$6.26 CHF 5.17

$6.72 CHF 5.54

-6.85%

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

$5.55 CHF 4.58

$6.38 CHF 5.27

-13.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 CHF 4.16

$5.80 CHF 4.79

-13.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.43 CHF 6.96

$9.60 CHF 7.93

-12.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.54 CHF 7.05

$9.74 CHF 8.04

-12.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.84

$2.25 CHF 1.86

-1.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 CHF 2.92

$3.02 CHF 2.49

17.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 CHF 3.33

$3.34 CHF 2.76

20.96%

Eggs

$7.97 CHF 6.57

$8.26 CHF 6.82

-3.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.40 CHF 22.62

$26.04 CHF 21.50

5.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.64 CHF 21.99

$27.62 CHF 22.80

-3.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.75 CHF 34.46

$41.64 CHF 34.37

0.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 CHF 3.02

$3.55 CHF 2.93

3.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 CHF 1.71

$2.27 CHF 1.87

-8.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 CHF 2.20

$2.95 CHF 2.43

-9.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 CHF 4.01

$4.63 CHF 3.82

4.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.73

$1.77 CHF 1.46

18.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 CHF 1.82

$2.00 CHF 1.65

10.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 CHF 1.96

$2.19 CHF 1.81

8.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CHF 1.06

$1.59 CHF 1.31

-18.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.10 CHF 9.16

$11.43 CHF 9.43

-2.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.39 CHF 11.05

$12.12 CHF 10.00

10.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 CHF 1.82

$2.52 CHF 2.08

-12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CHF 2.34

$3.03 CHF 2.50

-6.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 CHF 3.79

$4.57 CHF 3.77

0.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 CHF 84.2

$106 CHF 87.6

-3.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 CHF 6.58

$7.90 CHF 6.52

0.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.74 CHF 3.91

$4.58 CHF 3.78

3.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.0 CHF 72.7

$86.3 CHF 71.3

1.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.81

$2.26 CHF 1.87

-3.10%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.8K

$43.2K CHF 35.6K

-7.89%

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

$40.5K CHF 33.5K

$40.5K CHF 33.4K

0.06%

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

$240 CHF 198

$295 CHF 244

-18.80%

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

$39.33 CHF 32.46

$53.7 CHF 44.36

-26.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 CHF 54.5

$64.2 CHF 53.0

2.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.6 CHF 76.4

$84.3 CHF 69.5

9.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.24 CHF 38.17

$57.7 CHF 47.61

-19.83%

Cinema Ticket

$22.49 CHF 18.56

$23.28 CHF 19.21

-3.39%

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

$2,882 CHF 2,379

$3,047 CHF 2,515

-5.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.1K CHF 36.4K

$33.3K CHF 27.5K

32.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$140 CHF 115

$145 CHF 120

-3.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 CHF 49.80

$80.2 CHF 66.2

-24.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 CHF 124

$161 CHF 133

-6.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 CHF 143

$199 CHF 164

-12.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,772 CHF 1,462

$2,093 CHF 1,728

-15.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 CHF 1,232

$1,538 CHF 1,269

-2.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,847 CHF 2,350

$3,533 CHF 2,917

-19.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,086 CHF 3,373

$2,820 CHF 2,328

44.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.1K CHF 13.3K

$18.2K CHF 15.1K

-11.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.3K CHF 10.2K

$14.7K CHF 12.1K

-16.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,471 CHF 6,992

$7,077 CHF 5,841

19.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

2.43

-29.22%

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

Last update for Meilen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Basel: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,772 in Meilen and $2,093 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Meilen pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $122 in Meilen vs $126 in Basel. Groceries flip the comparison at $591 vs $587, with Basel cheaper for home cooking.

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

Meilen vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Meilen wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Meilen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Meilen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,772 in Meilen versus $2,093 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,882 in Meilen versus $3,047 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Basel pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Meilen 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 Meilen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,456 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Meilen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Meilen 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 Meilen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.