Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Solothurn

For one person, living is cheaper in Solothurn: $2,753 a month against $3,669 in Basel, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

176

Cost of Living Index in Basel
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Basel Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in Solothurn
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Solothurn Living Index

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Basel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,669

/mo nomad

Solothurn

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,753

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basel and in Solothurn

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Basel and in Solothurn actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,669 in Basel versus $2,753 in Solothurn.

Basel $3,669
Solothurn $2,753

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,649 in Basel versus $4,410 in Solothurn.

Basel $5,649
Solothurn $4,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,629 in Basel versus $6,067 in Solothurn.

Basel $7,629
Solothurn $6,067

Living in Basel is roughly 33% more expensive than in Solothurn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 170% above, Solothurn 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.27 CHF 25.06

$30.77 CHF 25.48

-1.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 103

$147 CHF 122

-15.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.91 CHF 14.83

$18.33 CHF 15.17

-2.29%

Cappuccino

$6.52 CHF 5.40

$6.67 CHF 5.52

-2.25%

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

$6.47 CHF 5.36

$5.31 CHF 4.40

21.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 CHF 4.89

$5.33 CHF 4.41

10.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.41 CHF 7.79

$6.59 CHF 5.46

42.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.48 CHF 7.85

$5.89 CHF 4.88

60.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.89

$2.19 CHF 1.81

4.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 CHF 2.52

$3.76 CHF 3.12

-19.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 CHF 2.71

$3.40 CHF 2.82

-3.82%

Eggs

$7.97 CHF 6.60

$8.42 CHF 6.97

-5.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.34 CHF 21.81

$22.43 CHF 18.57

17.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.32 CHF 22.62

$26.36 CHF 21.83

3.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.15 CHF 34.07

$60.1 CHF 49.74

-31.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CHF 3.06

$2.92 CHF 2.41

26.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.91

$1.49 CHF 1.23

54.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 CHF 2.51

$3.52 CHF 2.92

-13.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.54 CHF 3.76

$4.26 CHF 3.52

6.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 CHF 1.39

$1.65 CHF 1.36

1.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 CHF 1.58

$1.84 CHF 1.52

3.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CHF 1.88

$1.55 CHF 1.29

46.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CHF 1.32

$1.01 CHF 0.84

58.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.15 CHF 9.23

$10.81 CHF 8.95

3.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 CHF 9.85

$14.12 CHF 11.69

-15.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CHF 2.02

$2.91 CHF 2.41

-16.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CHF 2.51

$3.11 CHF 2.58

-2.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.21 CHF 4.32

$4.68 CHF 3.87

11.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 86.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.98 CHF 6.61

$7.96 CHF 6.59

0.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.61 CHF 3.82

$4.47 CHF 3.70

3.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$83.3 CHF 68.9

$88.1 CHF 72.9

-5.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.42 CHF 2.00

$2.23 CHF 1.84

8.52%

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

$38.3K CHF 31.7K

$30.4K CHF 25.2K

25.91%

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

$40.0K CHF 33.1K

$35.0K CHF 29.0K

14.32%

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

$296 CHF 245

$97.8 CHF 81.0

202.21%

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

$46.31 CHF 38.34

$30.67 CHF 25.39

50.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 CHF 52.3

$54.3 CHF 44.99

16.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.0 CHF 67.9

$89.4 CHF 74.0

-8.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.3 CHF 48.24

$17.05 CHF 14.11

241.70%

Cinema Ticket

$22.84 CHF 18.91

$17.87 CHF 14.79

27.81%

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

$3,139 CHF 2,599

$3,421 CHF 2,832

-8.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K CHF 27.0K

$19.5K CHF 16.1K

67.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$144 CHF 120

$138 CHF 114

4.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.9 CHF 66.1

$41.96 CHF 34.74

90.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 132

0.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$195 CHF 162

$246 CHF 203

-20.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,087 CHF 1,728

$1,154 CHF 955

80.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 CHF 1,363

$1,043 CHF 864

57.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,618 CHF 2,995

$1,803 CHF 1,493

100.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,966 CHF 2,456

$1,718 CHF 1,422

72.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.5K CHF 14.5K

$9,576 CHF 7,929

82.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.7K CHF 11.4K

$4,801 CHF 3,975

185.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,080 CHF 5,862

$6,805 CHF 5,634

4.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.42

2.03

19.21%

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

Last update for Basel: October 25, 2026

Last update for Solothurn: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Basel

$1.6K 44.9%

Solothurn

$1K 37.9% 36.6% $603

Groceries & Markets

Basel

$584 15.9%

Solothurn

$621 22.6% 6.4% $37

Eating Out

Basel

$490 13.3%

Solothurn

$468 17% 4.3% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basel

$405 11%

Solothurn

$183 6.6% 54.9% $222

Clothing & Footwear

Basel

$261 7.1%

Solothurn

$263 9.6% 1% $2.7

Getting Around

Basel

$157 4.3%

Solothurn

$49 * 1.8% 68.7% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Basel

$128 3.5%

Solothurn

$125 4.6% 2% $2.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,087 in Basel and $1,154 in Solothurn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 4% 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: $125 in Basel vs $147 in Solothurn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $584 vs $621 per month, with Basel cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Basel

🇨🇭 Solothurn

🕒 Local time

05:02 5:02 AM

Same time as Basel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,491

16,599

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Basel Solothurn 39 km

From you

Basel
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 25% 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.

Average pay runs 4% 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: $2,087 in Basel versus $1,154 in Solothurn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,139 in Basel versus $3,421 in Solothurn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Basel – a meal for two runs $125 versus $147 in Solothurn. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Basel and Solothurn are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Solothurn wins on affordability, Basel on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.