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: $3,459 in Yens versus $3,606 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,362 in Yens versus $5,819 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,264 in Yens versus $8,033 in Basel.

Living in Yens costs roughly 4% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Yens 159% above, Basel 170% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.31 CHF 24.46

$31.16 CHF 25.14

-2.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 119

$154 CHF 124

-4.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.91 CHF 15.25

$19.41 CHF 15.66

-2.58%

Cappuccino

$5.90 CHF 4.76

$6.73 CHF 5.43

-12.33%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.41

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 CHF 3.80

$5.21 CHF 4.20

-9.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 CHF 7.78

$9.65 CHF 7.79

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.49 CHF 6.04

$7.31 CHF 5.90

2.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.79

$2.21 CHF 1.79

0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 CHF 3.06

$3.87 CHF 3.13

-2.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 CHF 3.59

$5.19 CHF 4.18

-14.26%

Eggs

$7.42 CHF 5.99

$7.82 CHF 6.31

-5.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.28 CHF 21.20

$28.51 CHF 23.00

-7.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.80 CHF 23.24

$36.76 CHF 29.66

-21.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.50 CHF 35.91

$44.22 CHF 35.68

0.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CHF 2.92

$3.91 CHF 3.15

-7.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 CHF 1.68

$2.74 CHF 2.21

-24.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 CHF 2.29

$4.18 CHF 3.37

-32.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 CHF 5.33

$6.99 CHF 5.64

-5.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 CHF 2.02

$3.26 CHF 2.63

-23.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 CHF 1.91

$2.98 CHF 2.41

-20.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 2.02

$2.52 CHF 2.03

-0.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 CHF 1.13

$1.49 CHF 1.20

-5.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.07 CHF 8.93

$11.83 CHF 9.54

-6.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.74 CHF 11.08

$13.68 CHF 11.04

0.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 CHF 1.67

$2.42 CHF 1.95

-14.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CHF 2.50

$3.04 CHF 2.45

1.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.96 CHF 3.20

$4.76 CHF 3.84

-16.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 CHF 79.9

$105 CHF 84.8

-5.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.73 CHF 6.24

$7.92 CHF 6.39

-2.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.41 CHF 2.75

$4.36 CHF 3.51

-21.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.2 CHF 54.3

$87.4 CHF 70.5

-23.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.79

$2.20 CHF 1.77

0.45%

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

$40.3K CHF 32.5K

$40.8K CHF 32.9K

-1.19%

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

$40.7K CHF 32.8K

$45.1K CHF 36.4K

-9.89%

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

$301 CHF 243

$302 CHF 244

-0.31%

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

$51.1 CHF 41.23

$54.0 CHF 43.57

-5.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 CHF 46.38

$58.9 CHF 47.51

-2.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.9 CHF 71.7

$90.9 CHF 73.3

-2.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.38 CHF 33.39

Cinema Ticket

$22.64 CHF 18.27

$23.17 CHF 18.69

-2.29%

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

$2,534 CHF 2,045

$2,533 CHF 2,044

0.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.4K CHF 27.0K

$33.8K CHF 27.3K

-1.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CHF 86.1

$135 CHF 109

-21.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.6 CHF 55.4

$87.6 CHF 70.7

-21.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 120

$180 CHF 145

-17.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$183 CHF 148

$230 CHF 185

-20.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 CHF 1,367

$2,103 CHF 1,697

-19.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CHF 1,168

$1,511 CHF 1,219

-4.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,801 CHF 2,260

$3,742 CHF 3,019

-25.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,436 CHF 1,966

$2,829 CHF 2,283

-13.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.1K CHF 13.8K

$18.8K CHF 15.1K

-8.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.8K CHF 8,709

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

-25.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,175 CHF 5,790

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

2.55

-1.96%

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

Last update for Yens: July 13, 2026

Last update for Basel: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,694 in Yens and $2,103 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $147 in Yens vs $154 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $622 vs $692 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 4% 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 $5,189 in Yens and $5,409 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: $1,694 in Yens versus $2,103 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,534 in Yens versus $2,533 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% 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 $3,459 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 4% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.