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: $3,606 in Basel versus $2,830 in Solothurn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,819 in Basel versus $4,520 in Solothurn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,033 in Basel versus $6,211 in Solothurn.

Living in Basel is roughly 27% more expensive than in Solothurn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 170% above, Solothurn 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.16 CHF 25.24

$31.23 CHF 25.30

-0.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 125

$144 CHF 116

7.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.41 CHF 15.72

$21.30 CHF 17.25

-8.87%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.45

$6.53 CHF 5.29

3.06%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.43

$5.64 CHF 4.57

-3.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 CHF 4.22

$5.39 CHF 4.37

-3.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 CHF 7.82

$6.88 CHF 5.57

40.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 CHF 5.92

$6.34 CHF 5.14

15.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.79

$2.22 CHF 1.80

-0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 CHF 3.14

$3.26 CHF 2.64

18.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.19 CHF 4.20

$3.26 CHF 2.64

59.20%

Eggs

$7.82 CHF 6.34

$7.20 CHF 5.84

8.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.51 CHF 23.09

$30.06 CHF 24.35

-5.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.76 CHF 29.78

$31.44 CHF 25.47

16.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.22 CHF 35.82

$39.66 CHF 32.12

11.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CHF 3.16

$4.16 CHF 3.37

-6.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.22

$2.89 CHF 2.34

-5.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CHF 3.38

$2.99 CHF 2.42

39.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.66

$4.21 CHF 3.41

66.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.64

$1.93 CHF 1.56

68.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.41

$2.01 CHF 1.63

48.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.04

$2.54 CHF 2.06

-0.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$1.06 CHF 0.86

40.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 CHF 9.58

$11.01 CHF 8.92

7.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 CHF 11.08

$9.73 CHF 7.88

40.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.96

$2.61 CHF 2.11

-7.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.46

$2.40 CHF 1.94

26.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 CHF 3.86

$3.66 CHF 2.97

30.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 85.1

$97.0 CHF 78.6

8.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 CHF 6.42

$7.59 CHF 6.15

4.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.36 CHF 3.53

$4.18 CHF 3.39

4.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 70.8

$75.1 CHF 60.8

16.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$2.33 CHF 1.89

-5.58%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

$37.2K CHF 30.2K

9.57%

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

$45.1K CHF 36.6K

$38.8K CHF 31.5K

16.17%

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

$302 CHF 245

$96.9 CHF 78.5

211.97%

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

$54.0 CHF 43.74

$30.30 CHF 24.54

78.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 47.69

$59.1 CHF 47.86

-0.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.9 CHF 73.6

$73.0 CHF 59.2

24.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.38 CHF 33.52

$24.77 CHF 20.06

67.06%

Cinema Ticket

$23.17 CHF 18.77

$25.00 CHF 20.25

-7.32%

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

$2,533 CHF 2,052

$3,422 CHF 2,772

-25.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

$19.5K CHF 15.8K

73.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$140 CHF 113

-3.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.6 CHF 71.0

$43.89 CHF 35.55

99.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 CHF 146

$99.3 CHF 80.4

81.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$230 CHF 186

$187 CHF 151

23.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 CHF 1,704

$1,278 CHF 1,035

64.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 CHF 1,224

$1,083 CHF 877

39.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,742 CHF 3,031

$1,859 CHF 1,506

101.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 CHF 2,292

$1,753 CHF 1,420

61.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

$9,830 CHF 7,962

90.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

$4,937 CHF 3,999

195.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,175 CHF 5,812

$6,802 CHF 5,510

5.48%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Solothurn: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,103 in Basel and $1,278 in Solothurn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 5% 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: $154 in Basel vs $144 in Solothurn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $692 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 27% 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 5% 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: $2,103 in Basel versus $1,278 in Solothurn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,533 in Basel versus $3,422 in Solothurn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% 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 $2,830 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 27% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.