Cost of living comparison
compared to
Washington vs. Biel Cost of Living Summary
Washington is 8.0% cheaper than Biel.
Washington vs. Biel Cost Breakdown
If you lived in Washington instead of Biel, you would:
pay 29.8% less for restaurants
Biel | Washington | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant | $26.90 CHF21.78 | $25.00 | |
| Fast food combo meal McDonalds, or similar | $16.27 CHF13.17 | $12.00 | |
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) | $5.47 CHF4.43 | $3.20 | |
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) | $5.01 CHF4.05 | $2.79 | |
Biel vs. Washington - Cost of restaurants
pay 11.5% more for groceries
Biel | Washington | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread 1 loaf | $3.79 CHF3.07 | $4.43 | |
| Local cheese (8 oz) | $15.56 CHF12.60 | $8.04 | |
| Milk (1 gallon) | $8.32 CHF6.74 | $4.19 | |
| Eggs 1 dozen | $7.53 CHF6.09 | $4.55 | |
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) | $14.57 CHF11.79 | $7.74 | |
| Apples (1 lb) | $1.45 CHF1.17 | $2.95 | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | $1.07 CHF0.87 | $0.92 | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | $1.19 CHF0.96 | $2.20 | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | $1.95 CHF1.58 | $3.00 | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | $1.09 CHF0.89 | $1.35 | |
| Onions (1 lb) | $1.15 CHF0.93 | $1.64 | |
Biel vs. Washington - Cost of groceries
pay 38.8% less for transportation
Biel | Washington | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | $8.32 CHF6.73 | $3.53 | |
| Monthly public transit pass | $112.61 CHF91.17 | $77.50 | |
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | $37,851.11 CHF30,642.74 | $35,699.74 | |
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | $42.54 CHF34.44 | $16.73 | |
Biel vs. Washington - Cost of transportation
pay 39.2% more for housing
Biel | Washington | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet connection 50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl | $67.78 CHF54.87 | $69.41 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area | $1,292.99 CHF1,046.75 | $2,568.48 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center | $1,163.69 CHF942.07 | $2,088.16 | |
| Utilities for two (700 sq ft apartment) including electric, gas, water, heating | $191.66 CHF155.16 | $146.54 | |
Biel vs. Washington - Cost of housing
pay 8.7% less for childcare
Biel | Washington | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly | $2,940.50 CHF2,380.51 | $2,650.00 | |
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | $43,377.58 CHF35,116.75 | $40,166.67 | |
Biel vs. Washington - Cost of childcare
pay 5.9% less for entertainment and sports
Biel | Washington | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) | $8.13 CHF6.58 | $8.00 | |
| Cappuccino in mid-range area | $6.51 CHF5.27 | $6.07 | |
| Pack of cigarettes Marlboro or similar | $11.26 CHF9.12 | $13.00 | |
| Monthly membership at local gym | $116.79 CHF94.55 | $103.76 | |
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema | $22.52 CHF18.23 | $16.75 | |
Biel vs. Washington - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 23.3% less for clothing
Biel | Washington | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular jeans Levi's brand | $143.90 CHF116.49 | $76.00 | |
| Regular dress from H&M or similar store | $46.92 CHF37.99 | $48.40 | |
| Running shoes Nike or Adidas | $151.40 CHF122.57 | $104.31 | |
| Men's business shoes (leather) | $162.67 CHF131.69 | $133.22 | |
Biel vs. Washington - Cost of clothing
The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you. We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world. Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: June 2026
Change currency:
Compare further: Biel vs. Washington
Compare countries by overall cost of living
See the cost of living in Switzerland vs. United States. This provides a comparison of the average cost of living from cities within Switzerland and United States.
Help us improve these prices
MyLifeElsewhere is a collaborative project. Please enter price information for your location to help assist us in making these comparisons more accurate. Learn more
Ask the Elsewhere Community
Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Washington or Biel. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.