Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Solothurn Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Solothurn

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,653 in Basel versus $2,824 in Solothurn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,857 in Basel versus $4,426 in Solothurn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,062 in Basel versus $6,029 in Solothurn.

Living in Basel is roughly 29% more expensive than Solothurn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 173% above, Solothurn 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.72 CHF 24.22

$30.88 CHF 24.35

-0.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$156 CHF 123

$143 CHF 113

9.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.37 CHF 15.27

$20.70 CHF 16.32

-6.43%

Cappuccino

$6.75 CHF 5.32

$6.63 CHF 5.23

1.81%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.47

$5.61 CHF 4.42

1.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 3.96

$5.13 CHF 4.04

-2.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.95

$6.64 CHF 5.24

51.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.87

$6.24 CHF 4.92

19.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$2.26 CHF 1.78

-0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.94

$3.43 CHF 2.70

8.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.94

$3.39 CHF 2.67

47.20%

Eggs

$8.16 CHF 6.44

$7.47 CHF 5.89

9.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 22.60

$29.54 CHF 23.29

-2.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.93 CHF 28.33

$30.76 CHF 24.25

16.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.12 CHF 34.00

$38.99 CHF 30.74

10.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.14

$4.22 CHF 3.33

-5.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.05

$2.90 CHF 2.28

-10.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.35

$3.12 CHF 2.46

35.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.49

$4.34 CHF 3.42

60.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$1.93 CHF 1.52

67.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$2.02 CHF 1.59

45.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$2.50 CHF 1.97

0.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$1.06 CHF 0.84

46.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 CHF 9.21

$11.30 CHF 8.91

3.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 10.89

$10.27 CHF 8.09

34.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.88

$2.65 CHF 2.09

-9.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.49

$2.43 CHF 1.92

30.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.61

$3.60 CHF 2.84

27.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.4

$98.1 CHF 77.4

6.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.30

$7.67 CHF 6.05

4.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.40

$4.19 CHF 3.30

2.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.8

$73.1 CHF 57.6

19.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.75

$2.30 CHF 1.82

-3.04%

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

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

$38.3K CHF 30.2K

5.61%

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

$44.3K CHF 34.9K

$37.8K CHF 29.8K

17.28%

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

$306 CHF 241

$100 CHF 78.9

206.02%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.20

$30.95 CHF 24.40

72.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 46.40

$57.8 CHF 45.53

1.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 CHF 71.2

$74.0 CHF 58.3

22.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.51

$24.25 CHF 19.12

75.26%

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 17.91

$24.39 CHF 19.23

-6.85%

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

$2,574 CHF 2,029

$3,424 CHF 2,700

-24.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

$19.8K CHF 15.6K

71.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 105

$140 CHF 111

-4.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.3 CHF 69.6

$42.53 CHF 33.53

107.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 CHF 143

$99.3 CHF 78.3

82.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 179

$188 CHF 148

20.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CHF 1,665

$1,265 CHF 997

66.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 CHF 1,197

$1,065 CHF 840

42.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 CHF 3,018

$1,854 CHF 1,462

106.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,209

$1,755 CHF 1,384

59.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.0K

$10.3K CHF 8,088

86.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

$5,092 CHF 4,014

179.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,537

$7,149 CHF 5,636

15.99%

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 Solothurn: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Basel and $1,265 in Solothurn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 16% 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 $143 in Solothurn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $604 per month, with Solothurn 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 Solothurn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Solothurn wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Solothurn the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Basel pays 16% 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 $1,265 in Solothurn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Basel versus $3,424 in Solothurn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Solothurn 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 Solothurn delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,824 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Solothurn hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Solothurn 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 Solothurn gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.