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: $3,482 in Meilen versus $3,725 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,449 in Meilen versus $5,789 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,416 in Meilen versus $7,853 in Basel.

Living in Meilen costs roughly 7% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Meilen 162% above, Basel 180% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.45 CHF 24.58

$31.01 CHF 25.03

-1.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 117

$154 CHF 124

-5.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.82 CHF 15.19

$19.45 CHF 15.69

-3.24%

Cappuccino

$6.46 CHF 5.21

$6.66 CHF 5.38

-3.00%

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

$6.03 CHF 4.86

$5.74 CHF 4.63

5.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 CHF 4.15

$5.00 CHF 4.04

2.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.76 CHF 7.07

$9.58 CHF 7.73

-8.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 CHF 5.99

$7.70 CHF 6.21

-3.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.76

$2.22 CHF 1.79

-1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 CHF 2.72

$3.74 CHF 3.02

-9.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.97 CHF 3.20

$5.00 CHF 4.04

-20.60%

Eggs

$7.44 CHF 6.01

$7.91 CHF 6.39

-5.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.03 CHF 23.43

$29.24 CHF 23.60

-0.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.05 CHF 26.67

$37.30 CHF 30.10

-11.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.7 CHF 40.94

$43.14 CHF 34.81

17.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 CHF 3.26

$3.84 CHF 3.10

5.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 CHF 1.95

$2.60 CHF 2.10

-6.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 CHF 2.50

$4.05 CHF 3.27

-23.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 CHF 4.01

$6.86 CHF 5.54

-27.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 CHF 2.12

$3.22 CHF 2.60

-18.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.89

$2.84 CHF 2.29

-17.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CHF 2.07

$2.63 CHF 2.12

-2.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CHF 0.93

$1.49 CHF 1.20

-22.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.25 CHF 9.08

$11.56 CHF 9.33

-2.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 CHF 10.58

$13.33 CHF 10.76

-1.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$2.34 CHF 1.89

-5.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 CHF 1.85

$3.04 CHF 2.45

-24.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.03 CHF 3.25

$4.56 CHF 3.68

-11.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.9 CHF 79.8

$108 CHF 86.8

-8.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 CHF 5.33

$8.05 CHF 6.50

-17.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.16 CHF 3.35

$4.19 CHF 3.38

-0.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.5 CHF 64.2

$85.8 CHF 69.2

-7.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.79

$2.19 CHF 1.77

0.91%

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

$40.2K CHF 32.4K

$40.7K CHF 32.8K

-1.17%

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

$39.3K CHF 31.8K

$44.9K CHF 36.2K

-12.39%

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

$251 CHF 202

$303 CHF 245

-17.20%

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

$60.4 CHF 48.72

$53.2 CHF 42.90

13.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.5 CHF 48.02

$58.5 CHF 47.23

1.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.5 CHF 69.8

$90.7 CHF 73.2

-4.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.78 CHF 37.75

$42.34 CHF 34.17

10.49%

Cinema Ticket

$26.94 CHF 21.74

$22.39 CHF 18.07

20.32%

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

$2,850 CHF 2,300

$2,538 CHF 2,048

12.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.1K CHF 32.3K

$34.4K CHF 27.8K

16.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$140 CHF 113

$135 CHF 109

3.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 CHF 48.96

$89.2 CHF 71.9

-31.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 120

$175 CHF 141

-15.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 CHF 162

$227 CHF 183

-11.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,679 CHF 1,355

$2,105 CHF 1,699

-20.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 CHF 1,205

$1,498 CHF 1,209

-0.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 CHF 2,309

$3,749 CHF 3,025

-23.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,474 CHF 1,996

$2,888 CHF 2,331

-14.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

$18.3K CHF 14.8K

-20.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 9,986

$14.3K CHF 11.5K

-13.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,239 CHF 6,649

$7,099 CHF 5,729

16.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

2.55

-18.04%

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

Last update for Meilen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Basel: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,679 in Meilen and $2,105 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Meilen pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $146 in Meilen vs $154 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $656 vs $689 per month, with Meilen 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

Meilen vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Meilen wins on cost – living expenses run 7% 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 16% 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: $1,679 in Meilen versus $2,105 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,850 in Meilen versus $2,538 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 $2,000. 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 $3,482 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 7% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.