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: $3,525 in Meilen versus $3,706 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,499 in Meilen versus $5,904 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,473 in Meilen versus $8,102 in Basel.

Living in Meilen costs roughly 5% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Meilen 162% above, Basel 176% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.08 CHF 24.67

$31.07 CHF 24.67

0.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$145 CHF 115

$155 CHF 123

-6.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.50 CHF 14.69

$19.81 CHF 15.72

-6.61%

Cappuccino

$6.37 CHF 5.06

$6.98 CHF 5.54

-8.74%

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

$5.87 CHF 4.66

$5.69 CHF 4.52

3.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 CHF 4.07

$5.00 CHF 3.97

2.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.38 CHF 6.65

$9.80 CHF 7.78

-14.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.27 CHF 5.77

$7.64 CHF 6.07

-4.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.83

$2.22 CHF 1.76

4.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 CHF 2.61

$3.85 CHF 3.05

-14.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.05 CHF 3.21

$5.00 CHF 3.97

-19.00%

Eggs

$7.53 CHF 5.98

$8.00 CHF 6.35

-5.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.71 CHF 23.58

$28.50 CHF 22.62

4.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.41 CHF 26.52

$36.38 CHF 28.88

-8.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.4 CHF 40.01

$44.61 CHF 35.42

12.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.23 CHF 3.36

$3.95 CHF 3.14

7.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.91

$2.70 CHF 2.14

-10.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 CHF 2.37

$4.24 CHF 3.37

-29.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.18 CHF 4.11

$6.84 CHF 5.43

-24.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 CHF 1.99

$3.15 CHF 2.50

-20.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.78

$2.86 CHF 2.27

-21.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.99

$2.63 CHF 2.09

-4.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 CHF 0.90

$1.50 CHF 1.19

-24.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.01 CHF 8.74

$11.55 CHF 9.17

-4.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 CHF 12.12

$13.89 CHF 11.03

9.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 CHF 1.71

$2.37 CHF 1.88

-8.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 CHF 1.82

$3.06 CHF 2.43

-25.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 CHF 3.04

$4.67 CHF 3.71

-17.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.8 CHF 76.8

$108 CHF 85.7

-10.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 CHF 5.26

$8.06 CHF 6.40

-17.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.11 CHF 3.26

$4.28 CHF 3.40

-3.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.5 CHF 64.7

$87.2 CHF 69.2

-6.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.78

$2.22 CHF 1.76

0.90%

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

$39.6K CHF 31.4K

$39.9K CHF 31.7K

-0.83%

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

$38.9K CHF 30.9K

$44.8K CHF 35.5K

-13.05%

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

$256 CHF 203

$308 CHF 245

-17.06%

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

$58.4 CHF 46.34

$55.1 CHF 43.74

5.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 CHF 46.71

$59.9 CHF 47.51

-1.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.9 CHF 70.5

$90.5 CHF 71.8

-1.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$64.7 CHF 51.4

$41.81 CHF 33.19

54.75%

Cinema Ticket

$27.31 CHF 21.68

$23.10 CHF 18.34

18.23%

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

$2,795 CHF 2,219

$2,555 CHF 2,029

9.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.1K CHF 31.8K

$34.2K CHF 27.2K

17.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$140 CHF 111

$133 CHF 106

5.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 CHF 48.92

$86.4 CHF 68.6

-28.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 116

$175 CHF 139

-16.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$205 CHF 163

$234 CHF 186

-12.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 CHF 1,372

$2,106 CHF 1,672

-17.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,468 CHF 1,165

$1,484 CHF 1,178

-1.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,884 CHF 2,290

$3,757 CHF 2,982

-23.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,465 CHF 1,957

$2,891 CHF 2,295

-14.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$24.8K CHF 19.7K

$18.7K CHF 14.8K

33.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K CHF 9,462

$14.0K CHF 11.1K

-14.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,694 CHF 6,902

$8,072 CHF 6,408

7.71%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Basel: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,728 in Meilen and $2,106 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Meilen pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $145 in Meilen vs $155 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $665 vs $691 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 5% 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.

Meilen pays 8% more on average, 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: $1,728 in Meilen versus $2,106 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,795 in Meilen versus $2,555 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% 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 $3,525 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 5% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.