Cost of Living Comparison Between Yens and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Yens and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,461 in Yens versus $3,566 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,201 in Yens versus $5,581 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,941 in Yens versus $7,595 in Basel.

Living in Yens costs roughly 3% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Yens 152% above, Basel 160% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.66 CHF 24.11

$29.61 CHF 24.07

0.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 CHF 98.6

$128 CHF 104

-5.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.06 CHF 13.06

$18.47 CHF 15.01

-13.05%

Cappuccino

$6.18 CHF 5.03

$6.76 CHF 5.50

-8.58%

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

$5.27 CHF 4.28

$6.33 CHF 5.14

-16.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 CHF 3.38

$6.15 CHF 5.00

-32.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.59 CHF 7.80

$8.91 CHF 7.24

7.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 CHF 6.45

$9.93 CHF 8.07

-20.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.83

$2.34 CHF 1.90

-3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 CHF 2.52

$3.22 CHF 2.61

-3.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.65

$3.36 CHF 2.73

-2.98%

Eggs

$7.32 CHF 5.95

$8.03 CHF 6.53

-8.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.17 CHF 20.46

$26.94 CHF 21.90

-6.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.17 CHF 23.72

$27.83 CHF 22.63

4.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.85 CHF 33.21

$41.82 CHF 34.00

-2.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 CHF 2.97

$3.60 CHF 2.93

1.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 CHF 1.79

$2.35 CHF 1.91

-6.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 2.06

$3.12 CHF 2.54

-18.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 CHF 3.73

$4.84 CHF 3.93

-5.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 CHF 1.52

$1.73 CHF 1.40

8.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 CHF 1.64

$2.07 CHF 1.68

-2.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CHF 1.79

$2.33 CHF 1.89

-5.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 CHF 1.12

$1.63 CHF 1.33

-15.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.02 CHF 8.96

$11.39 CHF 9.26

-3.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 CHF 10.10

$12.41 CHF 10.09

0.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CHF 1.91

$2.62 CHF 2.13

-10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 CHF 2.32

$3.21 CHF 2.61

-11.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.32 CHF 3.52

$4.60 CHF 3.74

-6.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 CHF 82.7

$108 CHF 88.2

-6.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.34 CHF 6.78

$8.16 CHF 6.63

2.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.68 CHF 3.80

$4.67 CHF 3.80

0.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.1 CHF 71.7

$85.9 CHF 69.8

2.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.89

$2.27 CHF 1.85

2.20%

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

$43.4K CHF 35.3K

$43.8K CHF 35.6K

-0.93%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.4K

$39.8K CHF 32.4K

3.29%

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

$277 CHF 225

$304 CHF 247

-8.90%

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

$29.46 CHF 23.95

$54.2 CHF 44.05

-45.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 CHF 41.88

$64.7 CHF 52.6

-20.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.8 CHF 75.5

$83.3 CHF 67.7

11.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.39 CHF 37.71

$58.5 CHF 47.56

-20.70%

Cinema Ticket

$25.04 CHF 20.36

$23.78 CHF 19.34

5.30%

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

$3,081 CHF 2,505

$3,055 CHF 2,484

0.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K CHF 25.9K

$32.6K CHF 26.5K

-2.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$144 CHF 117

$147 CHF 120

-1.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.6 CHF 50.9

$81.7 CHF 66.4

-23.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 CHF 116

$166 CHF 135

-14.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 162

$206 CHF 167

-3.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 CHF 1,466

$2,095 CHF 1,703

-13.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 CHF 1,237

$1,529 CHF 1,243

-0.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,888 CHF 2,348

$3,547 CHF 2,884

-18.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 CHF 2,028

$2,865 CHF 2,329

-12.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.2K

$18.2K CHF 14.8K

-11.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.6K CHF 10.2K

$14.8K CHF 12.1K

-15.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,405 CHF 6,020

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

2.43

-19.75%

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

Last update for Yens: September 1, 2026

Last update for Basel: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,804 in Yens and $2,095 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $121 in Yens vs $128 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $581 vs $598 per month, with Yens 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

Yens vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yens wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Yens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,192 in Yens and $5,349 in Basel to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,804 in Yens versus $2,095 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,081 in Yens versus $3,055 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% 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. Yens 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 Yens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,461 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Yens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Yens 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 Yens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.