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: $3,511 in Yens versus $3,653 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,311 in Yens versus $5,857 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,111 in Yens versus $8,062 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 162% above, Basel 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.64 CHF 24.16

$30.72 CHF 24.22

-0.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$145 CHF 114

$156 CHF 123

-6.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.91 CHF 14.91

$19.37 CHF 15.27

-2.37%

Cappuccino

$6.15 CHF 4.85

$6.75 CHF 5.32

-8.89%

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

$5.34 CHF 4.21

$5.67 CHF 4.47

-5.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 CHF 3.84

$5.02 CHF 3.96

-2.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.92 CHF 7.82

$10.09 CHF 7.95

-1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 CHF 5.86

$7.45 CHF 5.87

-0.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.71

$2.24 CHF 1.77

-3.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 CHF 3.03

$3.73 CHF 2.94

2.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 CHF 3.56

$4.99 CHF 3.94

-9.42%

Eggs

$7.10 CHF 5.60

$8.16 CHF 6.44

-12.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.46 CHF 20.86

$28.67 CHF 22.60

-7.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.53 CHF 22.50

$35.93 CHF 28.33

-20.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.82 CHF 34.55

$43.12 CHF 34.00

1.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 CHF 2.87

$3.98 CHF 3.14

-8.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 CHF 1.66

$2.60 CHF 2.05

-18.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 CHF 2.22

$4.24 CHF 3.35

-33.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 CHF 5.18

$6.96 CHF 5.49

-5.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 1.92

$3.23 CHF 2.55

-24.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 CHF 1.83

$2.94 CHF 2.32

-20.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 1.96

$2.51 CHF 1.98

-0.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CHF 1.15

$1.55 CHF 1.22

-5.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.93 CHF 8.62

$11.68 CHF 9.21

-6.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.76 CHF 10.85

$13.81 CHF 10.89

-0.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 CHF 1.59

$2.39 CHF 1.88

-15.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CHF 2.46

$3.16 CHF 2.49

-1.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 CHF 3.11

$4.58 CHF 3.61

-13.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.7 CHF 77.8

$105 CHF 82.4

-5.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.10 CHF 6.38

$7.99 CHF 6.30

1.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.37 CHF 2.65

$4.31 CHF 3.40

-21.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.2 CHF 52.2

$87.2 CHF 68.8

-24.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.73

$2.23 CHF 1.75

-1.79%

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

$40.0K CHF 31.6K

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

-0.93%

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

$41.6K CHF 32.8K

$44.3K CHF 34.9K

-6.08%

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

$304 CHF 240

$306 CHF 241

-0.74%

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

$51.1 CHF 40.31

$53.5 CHF 42.20

-4.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 CHF 45.49

$58.9 CHF 46.40

-1.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.6 CHF 70.7

$90.3 CHF 71.2

-0.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.51

Cinema Ticket

$23.13 CHF 18.23

$22.72 CHF 17.91

1.80%

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

$2,554 CHF 2,014

$2,574 CHF 2,029

-0.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.7K CHF 26.6K

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

-0.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CHF 84.7

$134 CHF 105

-19.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.9 CHF 55.9

$88.3 CHF 69.6

-19.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 CHF 119

$181 CHF 143

-16.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 145

$227 CHF 179

-18.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,711 CHF 1,349

$2,112 CHF 1,665

-18.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 CHF 1,144

$1,519 CHF 1,197

-4.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,872 CHF 2,264

$3,828 CHF 3,018

-24.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,427 CHF 1,913

$2,802 CHF 2,209

-13.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.7K CHF 12.4K

$19.1K CHF 15.0K

-17.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.6K CHF 8,331

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

-25.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,537

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Basel: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,711 in Yens and $2,112 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $145 in Yens vs $156 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $618 vs $685 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 $5,266 in Yens and $5,479 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: $1,711 in Yens versus $2,112 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,554 in Yens versus $2,574 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 $3,511 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.