Cost of Living Comparison Between Wil and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Wil and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,078 in Wil versus $3,544 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,648 in Wil versus $5,518 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,217 in Wil versus $7,492 in Basel.

Living in Wil costs roughly 13% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wil 123% above, Basel 157% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.98 CHF 24.47

$29.93 CHF 24.42

0.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 120

$125 CHF 102

17.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$24.52 CHF 20.01

$18.69 CHF 15.25

31.19%

Cappuccino

$6.10 CHF 4.98

$6.73 CHF 5.49

-9.36%

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

$6.17 CHF 5.04

$6.33 CHF 5.17

-2.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 CHF 4.37

$5.86 CHF 4.78

-8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.24 CHF 7.54

$9.34 CHF 7.62

-1.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 CHF 5.38

$10.07 CHF 8.22

-34.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.83

$2.32 CHF 1.89

-3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 CHF 3.35

$3.05 CHF 2.49

34.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 CHF 3.18

$3.32 CHF 2.71

17.47%

Eggs

$8.10 CHF 6.61

$8.34 CHF 6.80

-2.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.43 CHF 22.39

$26.21 CHF 21.39

4.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.55 CHF 24.11

$27.85 CHF 22.73

6.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.76 CHF 34.89

$42.56 CHF 34.73

0.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 CHF 3.10

$3.66 CHF 2.99

3.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 CHF 1.70

$2.40 CHF 1.96

-12.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

$2.99 CHF 2.44

-16.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.46 CHF 4.46

$4.83 CHF 3.94

13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 CHF 1.68

$1.79 CHF 1.46

15.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.75

$1.95 CHF 1.59

10.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 CHF 1.93

$2.33 CHF 1.90

1.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CHF 1.03

$1.66 CHF 1.36

-24.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.91 CHF 8.90

$11.63 CHF 9.49

-6.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.44 CHF 15.05

$12.24 CHF 9.99

50.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 CHF 1.80

$2.49 CHF 2.03

-11.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 CHF 1.86

$3.18 CHF 2.59

-28.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 CHF 3.20

$4.44 CHF 3.63

-11.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.6 CHF 75.6

$108 CHF 88.3

-14.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.73 CHF 5.49

$7.99 CHF 6.52

-15.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.86 CHF 3.97

$4.59 CHF 3.75

5.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$78.9 CHF 64.4

$88.0 CHF 71.8

-10.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.85

$2.29 CHF 1.87

-0.87%

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

$35.1K CHF 28.6K

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

-20.72%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.3K

$39.6K CHF 32.3K

2.89%

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

$237 CHF 193

$299 CHF 244

-20.63%

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

$38.59 CHF 31.50

$53.3 CHF 43.47

-27.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 CHF 44.33

$66.0 CHF 53.9

-17.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.2 CHF 68.7

$85.8 CHF 70.0

-1.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.0 CHF 48.17

Cinema Ticket

$27.89 CHF 22.76

$23.81 CHF 19.44

17.14%

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

$2,347 CHF 1,916

$3,026 CHF 2,470

-22.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.5K CHF 27.3K

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

0.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$150 CHF 123

$147 CHF 120

2.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.7 CHF 56.0

$81.6 CHF 66.6

-15.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 120

$164 CHF 134

-10.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$275 CHF 225

$199 CHF 162

38.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 CHF 1,229

$2,141 CHF 1,747

-29.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 CHF 925

$1,528 CHF 1,247

-25.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,139 CHF 1,746

$3,615 CHF 2,950

-40.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 CHF 1,227

$2,890 CHF 2,358

-47.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,454 CHF 3,635

$7,336 CHF 5,987

-39.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.9

2.43

-21.81%

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

Last update for Wil: September 6, 2026

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,505 in Wil and $2,141 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 65% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $147 in Wil vs $125 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $626 vs $597 per month, with Basel 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

Wil vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wil wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Wil the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Basel. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,505 in Wil versus $2,141 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,347 in Wil versus $3,026 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Basel pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Wil 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 Wil delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,078 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Wil hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Wil 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 Wil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.