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: $3,566 in Basel versus $3,169 in Olten.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,581 in Basel versus $4,940 in Olten.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,595 in Basel versus $6,712 in Olten.

Living in Basel is roughly 13% more expensive than in Olten, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 160% above, Olten 131% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.61 CHF 23.95

$34.18 CHF 27.65

-13.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 CHF 103

$123 CHF 99.9

3.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.47 CHF 14.94

$17.95 CHF 14.52

2.90%

Cappuccino

$6.76 CHF 5.47

$6.59 CHF 5.33

2.58%

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

$6.33 CHF 5.12

$5.56 CHF 4.50

13.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 CHF 4.98

$5.52 CHF 4.46

11.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.91 CHF 7.21

$9.34 CHF 7.56

-4.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.93 CHF 8.03

$7.56 CHF 6.12

31.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 CHF 1.90

$2.27 CHF 1.83

3.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 CHF 2.60

$3.99 CHF 3.22

-19.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 CHF 2.72

$3.89 CHF 3.15

-13.62%

Eggs

$8.03 CHF 6.50

$8.76 CHF 7.09

-8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.94 CHF 21.79

$25.96 CHF 21.00

3.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.83 CHF 22.51

$27.37 CHF 22.14

1.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.82 CHF 33.83

$47.48 CHF 38.42

-11.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 CHF 2.91

$4.25 CHF 3.44

-15.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 CHF 1.90

$2.83 CHF 2.29

-16.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 CHF 2.53

$3.07 CHF 2.48

1.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 CHF 3.91

$4.86 CHF 3.93

-0.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 CHF 1.40

$2.68 CHF 2.17

-35.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.67

$2.22 CHF 1.80

-6.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.88

$2.49 CHF 2.01

-6.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 CHF 1.32

$1.30 CHF 1.05

25.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.39 CHF 9.21

$11.06 CHF 8.95

2.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.41 CHF 10.04

$13.74 CHF 11.12

-9.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 CHF 2.12

$2.74 CHF 2.22

-4.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 CHF 2.60

$3.16 CHF 2.55

1.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.60 CHF 3.72

$5.41 CHF 4.37

-14.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 87.7

$109 CHF 88.6

-0.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.16 CHF 6.60

$8.24 CHF 6.67

-0.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.67 CHF 3.78

$4.80 CHF 3.88

-2.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.9 CHF 69.5

$90.3 CHF 73.0

-4.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.84

$2.28 CHF 1.85

-0.44%

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

$43.8K CHF 35.5K

$40.6K CHF 32.9K

7.91%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.2K

$39.9K CHF 32.3K

-0.22%

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

$304 CHF 246

$287 CHF 233

5.70%

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

$54.2 CHF 43.83

$34.09 CHF 27.58

58.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 CHF 52.3

$49.15 CHF 39.76

31.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.3 CHF 67.4

$82.9 CHF 67.1

0.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.5 CHF 47.33

Cinema Ticket

$23.78 CHF 19.24

$21.24 CHF 17.18

11.96%

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

$3,055 CHF 2,472

$3,643 CHF 2,947

-16.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K CHF 26.4K

$42.8K CHF 34.6K

-23.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 119

$143 CHF 115

3.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.7 CHF 66.1

$60.4 CHF 48.88

35.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 CHF 135

$168 CHF 136

-0.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 CHF 167

$219 CHF 178

-6.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 CHF 1,695

$1,260 CHF 1,020

66.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 CHF 1,237

$1,058 CHF 856

44.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,547 CHF 2,870

$1,984 CHF 1,605

78.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,865 CHF 2,318

$1,954 CHF 1,581

46.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 14.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.8K CHF 12.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,405 CHF 5,990

$4,404 CHF 3,563

68.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

2.07

17.39%

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

Last update for Basel: August 30, 2026

Last update for Olten: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,095 in Basel and $1,260 in Olten. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 68% 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: $128 in Basel vs $123 in Olten. Groceries flip the comparison at $598 vs $631, with Basel cheaper for home cooking.

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 13% 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.

Average pay runs 68% higher in Basel, 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: $2,095 in Basel versus $1,260 in Olten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,055 in Basel versus $3,643 in Olten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Basel pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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 $3,169 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 13% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.