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: $3,550 in Meilen versus $3,741 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,422 in Meilen versus $5,905 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,295 in Meilen versus $8,069 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 165% above, Basel 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.33 CHF 24.75

$30.45 CHF 24.06

2.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$150 CHF 118

$152 CHF 120

-1.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.66 CHF 14.74

$19.99 CHF 15.79

-6.65%

Cappuccino

$6.19 CHF 4.89

$6.65 CHF 5.25

-6.92%

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

$6.08 CHF 4.80

$5.68 CHF 4.49

7.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 CHF 4.18

$5.23 CHF 4.13

1.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.43 CHF 6.66

$9.58 CHF 7.57

-12.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.88

$7.64 CHF 6.04

-2.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.81

$2.21 CHF 1.75

3.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 CHF 2.59

$3.83 CHF 3.03

-14.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 CHF 3.26

$5.18 CHF 4.09

-20.46%

Eggs

$7.52 CHF 5.94

$8.09 CHF 6.39

-7.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.67 CHF 23.44

$28.36 CHF 22.41

4.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.85 CHF 26.74

$37.13 CHF 29.33

-8.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.4 CHF 39.81

$44.06 CHF 34.81

14.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.35

$3.81 CHF 3.01

11.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 1.99

$2.67 CHF 2.11

-5.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 CHF 2.39

$4.15 CHF 3.28

-27.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 CHF 4.12

$6.99 CHF 5.52

-25.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 CHF 1.98

$3.24 CHF 2.56

-22.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 CHF 1.81

$2.96 CHF 2.34

-22.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CHF 2.04

$2.53 CHF 2.00

1.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 CHF 0.90

$1.57 CHF 1.24

-27.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.99 CHF 8.68

$11.73 CHF 9.27

-6.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 CHF 12.29

$15.10 CHF 11.93

3.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 CHF 1.71

$2.35 CHF 1.85

-8.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 CHF 1.79

$3.05 CHF 2.41

-25.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.03 CHF 3.18

$4.55 CHF 3.60

-11.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.2 CHF 77.6

$105 CHF 82.8

-6.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 CHF 5.43

$7.96 CHF 6.29

-13.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.14 CHF 3.27

$4.28 CHF 3.38

-3.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$78.9 CHF 62.3

$85.8 CHF 67.8

-8.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

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

$41.0K CHF 32.4K

$39.6K CHF 31.3K

3.48%

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

$39.5K CHF 31.2K

$44.8K CHF 35.4K

-11.73%

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

$255 CHF 201

$309 CHF 244

-17.64%

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

$59.4 CHF 46.90

$53.1 CHF 41.98

11.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 CHF 45.45

$60.4 CHF 47.73

-4.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.9 CHF 70.2

$91.0 CHF 71.9

-2.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$65.1 CHF 51.5

$42.48 CHF 33.56

53.34%

Cinema Ticket

$27.58 CHF 21.79

$23.06 CHF 18.22

19.60%

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

$2,847 CHF 2,250

$2,609 CHF 2,061

9.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.3K CHF 31.0K

$34.8K CHF 27.5K

13.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 112

$133 CHF 105

6.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.5 CHF 49.40

$87.1 CHF 68.8

-28.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 118

$174 CHF 138

-14.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$200 CHF 158

$231 CHF 182

-13.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,669 CHF 1,319

$2,126 CHF 1,680

-21.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 CHF 1,139

$1,463 CHF 1,156

-1.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,880 CHF 2,275

$3,757 CHF 2,968

-23.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,497 CHF 1,973

$2,789 CHF 2,203

-10.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.3K CHF 11.3K

$17.9K CHF 14.1K

-20.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.6K CHF 8,389

$13.3K CHF 10.5K

-20.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,496 CHF 6,712

$7,988 CHF 6,310

6.37%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Basel: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,669 in Meilen and $2,126 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Meilen pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $150 in Meilen vs $152 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $669 vs $696 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 6% 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: $1,669 in Meilen versus $2,126 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,847 in Meilen versus $2,609 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 $3,550 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.