Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Olten Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Olten

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,653 in Basel versus $2,941 in Olten.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,857 in Basel versus $4,458 in Olten.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,062 in Basel versus $5,975 in Olten.

Living in Basel is roughly 24% more expensive than Olten, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 173% above, Olten 119% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.72 CHF 24.24

$30.87 CHF 24.36

-0.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$156 CHF 123

$105 CHF 82.9

48.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.37 CHF 15.28

$17.57 CHF 13.86

10.24%

Cappuccino

$6.75 CHF 5.33

$5.47 CHF 4.31

23.40%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.47

$5.34 CHF 4.22

6.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 3.96

$4.62 CHF 3.65

8.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.96

$6.88 CHF 5.43

46.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.88

$6.29 CHF 4.97

18.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$2.09 CHF 1.65

7.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.95

$3.40 CHF 2.68

9.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.94

$4.12 CHF 3.26

21.12%

Eggs

$8.16 CHF 6.44

$7.54 CHF 5.95

8.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 22.62

$21.64 CHF 17.07

32.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.93 CHF 28.36

$25.89 CHF 20.43

38.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.12 CHF 34.03

$40.22 CHF 31.74

7.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.14

$4.04 CHF 3.19

-1.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.05

$2.40 CHF 1.90

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.35

$2.97 CHF 2.35

42.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.49

$5.05 CHF 3.99

37.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$2.75 CHF 2.17

17.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$2.37 CHF 1.87

24.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$2.46 CHF 1.94

2.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$1.52 CHF 1.20

1.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 CHF 9.22

$10.95 CHF 8.64

6.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 10.90

$15.42 CHF 12.17

-10.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.89

$2.15 CHF 1.70

11.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.49

$2.42 CHF 1.91

30.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.61

$3.93 CHF 3.10

16.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.5

$100 CHF 79.0

4.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.31

$7.53 CHF 5.94

6.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.40

$4.14 CHF 3.27

4.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.8

$61.5 CHF 48.53

41.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.76

$2.28 CHF 1.80

-2.19%

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

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

$40.7K CHF 32.1K

-0.62%

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

$44.3K CHF 35.0K

$39.3K CHF 31.0K

12.72%

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

$306 CHF 242

$260 CHF 205

17.67%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.24

$33.65 CHF 26.56

59.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 46.44

$57.7 CHF 45.54

1.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 CHF 71.2

$61.3 CHF 48.36

47.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.54

$18.65 CHF 14.72

127.88%

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 17.93

$24.88 CHF 19.64

-8.68%

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

$2,574 CHF 2,031

$3,433 CHF 2,709

-25.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

$39.9K CHF 31.5K

-14.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 105

$141 CHF 111

-5.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.3 CHF 69.7

$61.2 CHF 48.33

44.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 CHF 143

$150 CHF 118

21.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 179

$198 CHF 156

14.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CHF 1,666

$1,248 CHF 985

69.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 CHF 1,199

$1,063 CHF 839

42.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 CHF 3,021

$1,987 CHF 1,568

92.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,211

$1,708 CHF 1,348

64.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,544

$4,351 CHF 3,433

90.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

2.09

22.01%

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

Last update for Basel: May 31, 2026

Last update for Olten: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Basel and $1,248 in Olten. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 91% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $156 in Basel vs $105 in Olten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $576 per month, with Olten 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

Basel vs Olten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Olten wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Olten the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Basel pays 91% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Basel versus $1,248 in Olten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Basel versus $3,433 in Olten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% 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. Olten 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 Olten delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,941 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Olten hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Olten 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 Olten gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.