Switzerland / Western Europe
Biel/Bienne is an indexed city in Switzerland (Western Europe), with a metropolitan population of about ~56K. This profile brings together deterministic city-intelligence indicators for Biel/Bienne spanning cost of living, climate, safety and quality of life, economy and jobs, education, and healthcare. Biel/Bienne is a western europe city of about ~56K in Switzerland. On the composite city-intelligence score, Biel/Bienne sits around the indexed median (74/100).
8 of 8 published intelligence dimensions. Positions compare Biel/Bienne with other indexed cities in Switzerland.
Strongest in Switzerland
Trade-offs in Switzerland
Where a position is shown, it compares Biel/Bienne with the other indexed cities in Switzerland — using the data currently published on this site, not any external benchmark. Cities whose indicators are still pending integration are excluded from those comparisons entirely, and no position is shown for a country with fewer than 10 comparable cities. Where too many cities share the same published value to separate them honestly, the card says “Typical for this country” instead of a stronger claim, and positions describe rank order rather than a fixed percentage.
Cities with comparable characteristics based on the indicators currently published by Global City Intelligence.
Cities that stay broadly comparable to Biel/Bienne while improving one named indicator. Each result states what it gains and what it gives up.
Choose an indicator to see alternatives.
Recommendations use the indicators currently published on this site — they are not external rankings. Each indicator is scaled to a common range before cities are compared, so no single measure dominates because of its units, and only cities with a complete set of published indicators take part. Cities whose data is still pending integration are excluded entirely. An alternative must stay broadly comparable to Biel/Bienne and improve the indicator you chose by a margin large enough to be meaningful rather than rounding noise; where it gives something up in exchange, that is stated on the card.
Image credit: Image: Nemo bis / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Composite profile
74/100
Use the Biel/Bienne profile to compare affordability, livability, and economic indicators against other indexed cities in Switzerland and across Western Europe, and to explore nearby nature and weekend destinations.
74/100
Composite directional score across affordability, air quality, clean energy, and resilience.
Directional
Directional indicators pending integration of verified city-level data.
See country hub
Emergency, healthcare, and transport verification status appears on the country hub.
The table is part of the initial server-rendered HTML and mirrors the key city score cards.
| Metric | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 74/100 | Composite score across major city intelligence modules. |
| Cost of Living | 52/100 | Biel/Bienne's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Air Quality | 80/100 | Biel/Bienne's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Energy | 83/100 | Biel/Bienne's energy-readiness profile is a directional indicator that combines national policy framing with city-level adaptation context. |
| Safety | 77/100 | Biel/Bienne's safety profile is a directional indicator; verified country-level emergency profiles attach via the country hub where available. |
| Internet Speed | 79/100 | Biel/Bienne's connectivity profile is a directional indicator combining national digital-readiness context with widely cited speed-test references. |
| Climate Risk | 79/100 | Biel/Bienne's climate-risk profile is a directional indicator combining regional hazard categories with national adaptation capacity. |
| Resilience | 79/100 | Climate adaptation and infrastructure continuity context. |
Safety, air quality, internet speed and energy for Biel/Bienne, each as a 0–100 GCI model indicator.
A GCI model indicator for orientation (model edition 2025), not an official statistic. How it is built.
A GCI model indicator for orientation (model edition 2025), not an official statistic. How it is built.
A GCI model indicator for orientation (model edition 2025), not an official statistic. How it is built.
A GCI model indicator for orientation (model edition 2025), not an official statistic. How it is built.
Deterministic safety estimates from our index — planning signals derived from country priors and city data, not official crime statistics.
Biel/Bienne ranks in the upper tier of our safety index (90/100), with strong personal-safety and low night-time indicators.
A composite quality-of-life estimate and its component indicators.
Biel/Bienne has a very high quality-of-life estimate (89/100), with notable strengths in healthcare, green space, cleanliness and infrastructure.
How the city scores for raising a family, with the indicators that drive it.
Biel/Bienne scores very high for family living (89/100), helped by education access, safety, parks and green space and healthcare.
Suitability for remote workers, based on connectivity, mobility, and livability.
Biel/Bienne is high for remote workers (79/100), based on connectivity, walkability, safety and overall livability and day-to-day amenities.
Suitability for retirement, weighing healthcare, affordability, climate, and environment.
Biel/Bienne is very high for retirement (83/100), appealing for healthcare access and a clean environment.
Local public safety guidance for Biel/Bienne, with the country-level emergency contacts that apply when calling for police, fire, or ambulance.
| Service | Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| European emergency | 11224/7 | 112 routes to police, fire, or ambulance dispatch nationwide. |
| Police | 11724/7 | — |
| Ambulance | 14424/7 | — |
| Fire | 11824/7 | — |
For the universal emergency contacts that apply in Biel/Bienne, including police, fire, and ambulance, see the Switzerland emergency profile.
Each emergency contact above is attributed to an official emergency service or government publisher. Confirm current numbers directly with these sources.
Used as the primary attribution for the EU-wide 112 universal emergency number on European country profiles.
Last verified: 2026-05-16
Methodology and the wider source registry are documented on the scoring methodology and data sources pages.
Healthcare context for Biel/Bienne, with national-level information from Switzerland where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only and does not provide medical advice.
For the national healthcare and public-health context that applies in Biel/Bienne, see the Switzerland healthcare profile, which currently lists no verified national healthcare information.
Related sections: emergency and public safety, scoring methodology, and data sources.
Local mobility context for Biel/Bienne, with national-level context from Switzerland where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only.
For national transport authorities and operators that apply in Biel/Bienne, see the Switzerland transport profile, which currently lists no verified national transport information.
Related sections: emergency and public safety, healthcare and hospitals, cities directory, countries directory, scoring methodology, data sources.
Source-attributed air-quality dataset for Biel/Bienne. Verified measurements are surfaced when published from accepted official datasets; transparent fallback is shown otherwise.
Source-attributed values for Biel/Bienne will appear here after the platform integrates verified measurements from accepted official publishers. Until then, structured air-quality module context remains available on the dedicated module page.
| Metric | Value | Data year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air quality | Verified air-quality measurements are not yet published for this location. | ||
Global City Intelligence — air-quality dataset
Verified data unavailableThe air-quality dataset begins empty by design. Verified city-level measurements appear here only after they are sourced from accepted publishers (WHO, EEA, US EPA, OpenAQ, OECD, or official national/city environmental agencies).
Numeric measurements appear in this section only after they are sourced from accepted official publishers. The dataset is independently validated at build time; malformed records cannot ship to production.
Quick, evidence-based answers about Biel/Bienne drawn from this profile's indexed cost, climate, safety, economy, education, healthcare and nearby-nature data. Figures are deterministic estimates for orientation — verify specifics with official sources.
Yes — excellent quality of life (89/100), with nearby nature such as Vogelinsel (Bielersee), Alte Aare: Lyss-Dotzigen.
Excellent (89/100) on safety, schools and green space.
Around average cost; about CHF 2,360/month for one person (estimate).
Late spring to early autumn; warmest in Jul, coldest in Jan.
Mainly tourism, hospitality, technology.
A humid continental climate, averaging about 10.1°C.
Higher education is strong (69/100).
Healthcare access is strong (72/100).
Retirement suitability is strong (70/100).
Within ~170 km: Vogelinsel (Bielersee), Alte Aare: Lyss-Dotzigen.
Rankings and topic pages for Biel/Bienne.
Compare this city against other indexed cities in crawlable ranking tables.
Cost of living estimates for Biel/Bienne — monthly budgets, rent, food, and transport in the local currency, plus an affordability score for comparison. Planning estimates derived from country baselines, not live prices.
Climate profile for Biel/Bienne — Humid Continental climate, annual average 10.1°C, comfort score 63/100. Month-by-month temperatures, rainfall, sunshine, and the best months to visit. Deterministic planning estimates, not a forecast.
Economy and jobs profile for Biel/Bienne — tourism economy, economy score 81/100, key industries including tourism, hospitality, technology. Employment, salary, startup, remote-work, and career indicators. Deterministic planning estimates.
Education profile for Biel/Bienne — regional education center, education score 66/100, 4 representative universities, plus research, student life, and international-student indicators. Deterministic dataset, not institutional rankings.
Healthcare and retirement profile for Biel/Bienne — regional healthcare center, healthcare score 72/100, retirement score 70/100. Medical access, specialist and emergency care, affordability, and retirement suitability. Deterministic planning estimates.
Source-attributed visual context for Biel/Bienne using verified Wikimedia imagery from the existing media catalog, alongside structured city intelligence and planning links. Not a tourism guide or attractions ranking.
Weekend trip planning checklist for Biel/Bienne — links into arrival planning, Summer 2026 travel context, visual orientation, budget tools, transport, public safety, and healthcare context. Not an itinerary, events calendar, hotel-price guide, restaurant guide, or tourism ranking.
Source-backed nearby place records for local-first weekend planning, with verification status, official source links, Wikidata identity, and visual context.
Estimate a monthly budget for Biel/Bienne using your own housing, food, transport, healthcare, and lifestyle inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official cost-of-living measurement.
Plan a trip budget for Biel/Bienne using your own accommodation, food, local transport, activities, travel, healthcare buffer, and emergency buffer inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official travel cost estimate.
Biel/Bienne across Global City Intelligence — comparisons, rankings, places and editorial coverage.
Global ranking pages. Linking to one says nothing about how Biel/Bienne places in it.
27 indexed destinations within reach — 10 cities and 17 natural places — grouped by measured straight-line distance. Cross-border options reach France.
17 classified outdoor destinations within weekend reach, grouped by what kind of place they are. Distances are straight-line kilometres from the city centre.
Where else nearby you could spend a day or a weekend from Biel/Bienne. Links are derived from geographic proximity, shared region, shared natural-recreation areas, transport corridors, and country borders — not popularity or tourism rankings.
Nearby city · about 26 km from Biel/Bienne. Explore Bern's city intelligence profile.
Nearby city · about 29 km from Biel/Bienne. Explore Neuchâtel's city intelligence profile.
Cross-border · about 53 km from Biel/Bienne. Explore Montbéliard's city intelligence profile.
Nearby city · about 54 km from Biel/Bienne. Explore Basel's city intelligence profile.
Cross-border · about 68 km from Biel/Bienne. Explore Mulhouse's city intelligence profile.
Same region · about 81 km from Biel/Bienne. Explore Lucerne's city intelligence profile.
Same region · about 82 km from Biel/Bienne. Explore Lausanne's city intelligence profile.
Cross-border · about 93 km from Biel/Bienne. Explore Besançon's city intelligence profile.
Same region · about 101 km from Biel/Bienne. Explore Zurich's city intelligence profile.
Cross-border · about 105 km from Biel/Bienne. Explore Colmar's city intelligence profile.
Common questions about living in, visiting, working in, studying in and retiring to Biel/Bienne, answered from the indexed cost-of-living, climate, safety, economy, education, healthcare and nearby-nature data on this profile.
Biel/Bienne has a very high quality-of-life estimate (89/100), with notable strengths in healthcare, green space, cleanliness and infrastructure. Visitors can also reach nature such as Vogelinsel (Bielersee), Alte Aare: Lyss-Dotzigen and Sessenais within weekend range.
Biel/Bienne has a very high quality-of-life estimate (89/100), with notable strengths in healthcare, green space, cleanliness and infrastructure. It indexes 89/100 for overall quality of life.
A single resident of Biel/Bienne spends roughly CHF 2,360 per month, with a one-bedroom rent near CHF 1,250. Overall the city is around average cost for Switzerland. These are modelled estimates, not live quotes — verify locally.
Plan for around-average living costs and check current rents before relocating. Biel/Bienne is high for remote workers (79/100), based on connectivity, walkability, safety and overall livability and day-to-day amenities.
Biel/Bienne's labour market is very strong, with opportunities concentrated in tourism and hospitality, technology and healthcare. Biel/Bienne has a tourism-driven economy with strengths in tourism, hospitality and technology.
Biel/Bienne offers strong infrastructure and amenities for remote professionals, with a remote-work score of 88/100.
Biel/Bienne is a regional education center with a mix of universities and research activity in our dataset, spanning fields such as Economics, Law and Engineering.
Biel/Bienne offers a moderate student environment, supported by walkable neighborhoods, strong quality of life and good connectivity.
Biel/Bienne has a regional healthcare center, supported by hospitals, specialist services, and public-health infrastructure, with a healthcare score of 72/100. Residents have strong access to healthcare across primary, specialist, and emergency care.
Biel/Bienne offers a combination of healthcare access, safety, and amenities that may appeal to retirees, with a retirement score of 70/100. Residents benefit from parks and green space, walkable streets and broad urban amenities and day-to-day services.
Biel/Bienne has a humid continental climate, averaging about 10.1°C annually with roughly 1050 mm of rain. The hottest month is Jul and the coldest Jan. The driest is typically Jan.
Biel/Bienne ranks in the upper tier of our safety index (90/100), with strong personal-safety and low night-time indicators.
Biel/Bienne indexes a walkability score of 79 and a cycling score of 76 out of 100. Check the local operator for live transit routes and fares.
Nature destinations within about 170 km of Biel/Bienne include Vogelinsel (Bielersee), Alte Aare: Lyss-Dotzigen and Sessenais. Each is linked with its official source on the profile.
Biel/Bienne scores very high for family living (89/100), helped by education access, safety, parks and green space and healthcare.
Biel/Bienne rates 54/100 for outdoor lifestyle and 98/100 for green space. Nearby nature such as Vogelinsel (Bielersee), Alte Aare: Lyss-Dotzigen and Sessenais supports day hikes, water activities and weekend trips.
Use the Biel/Bienne profile to compare affordability, livability, and economic indicators against other indexed cities in Switzerland and across Western Europe, and to explore nearby nature and weekend destinations. Its standout dimensions are energy (83/100) and air quality (80/100). The area most worth watching is cost of living (52/100), where the model registers practical gaps. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16. Drawn from 4 institutional references.
Country context is available on the Switzerland country page. Related rankings include Overall Intelligence, Quality of Life, Remote Work. See where Biel/Bienne appears in global rankings or read the scoring methodology.
Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation. Verified datasets are being integrated; official sources should be used for critical decisions.
4 institutional references inform this view, listed below with reliability notes. Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation; verified datasets are being integrated and official sources should be used for critical decisions.
Used as a policy and methodology reference for urban exposure and resilience signals.
Used where European city comparisons need monitored air-quality context.
Used as an energy-resource and weather-normalization reference.
Used to explain urban climate vulnerability and adaptation scoring logic.