Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Neuchatel and Solothurn

For one person, living is cheaper in Solothurn: $2,728 a month against $3,172 in Neuchatel, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Neuchatel outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

156

Cost of Living Index in Neuchatel
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Neuchatel Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Solothurn
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Solothurn Living Index

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Neuchatel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,172

/mo nomad

Solothurn

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,728

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Neuchatel 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 Neuchatel and in Solothurn actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,172 in Neuchatel versus $2,728 in Solothurn.

Neuchatel $3,172
Solothurn $2,728

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,877 in Neuchatel versus $4,408 in Solothurn.

Neuchatel $4,877
Solothurn $4,408

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,583 in Neuchatel versus $6,088 in Solothurn.

Neuchatel $6,583
Solothurn $6,088

Living in Neuchatel is roughly 16% more expensive than in Solothurn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Neuchatel 135% above, Solothurn 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.68 CHF 21.98

$30.10 CHF 24.79

-11.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$116 CHF 95.6

$143 CHF 118

-18.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.96 CHF 14.79

$18.34 CHF 15.10

-2.07%

Cappuccino

$5.90 CHF 4.86

$6.40 CHF 5.27

-7.81%

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

$3.98 CHF 3.28

$5.50 CHF 4.53

-27.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 CHF 2.76

$5.11 CHF 4.21

-34.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.38 CHF 7.73

$6.42 CHF 5.28

46.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CHF 5.93

$5.95 CHF 4.90

21.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 CHF 1.70

$2.20 CHF 1.81

-6.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 CHF 2.54

$3.71 CHF 3.05

-16.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CHF 2.63

$3.42 CHF 2.81

-6.73%

Eggs

$6.84 CHF 5.63

$8.35 CHF 6.88

-18.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.39 CHF 20.91

$22.38 CHF 18.43

13.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.24 CHF 22.43

$26.23 CHF 21.61

3.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.83 CHF 32.80

$62.0 CHF 51.1

-35.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.61

$2.80 CHF 2.30

13.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.77

$1.40 CHF 1.16

53.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.39

$3.46 CHF 2.85

-15.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 CHF 3.78

$4.31 CHF 3.55

6.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 CHF 1.37

$1.63 CHF 1.34

1.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 CHF 1.61

$1.74 CHF 1.44

12.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$1.60 CHF 1.32

38.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CHF 1.00

$0.95 CHF 0.78

27.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.92 CHF 8.99

$10.83 CHF 8.92

0.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.01 CHF 9.90

$13.82 CHF 11.38

-13.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 CHF 2.10

$2.76 CHF 2.27

-7.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CHF 2.08

$3.04 CHF 2.50

-17.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 CHF 2.42

$4.77 CHF 3.93

-38.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.8 CHF 75.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.91 CHF 6.51

$8.21 CHF 6.76

-3.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.26 CHF 3.51

$4.66 CHF 3.84

-8.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$76.4 CHF 62.9

$87.2 CHF 71.8

-12.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 CHF 1.92

$2.26 CHF 1.86

3.10%

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

$38.9K CHF 32.0K

$29.9K CHF 24.6K

30.01%

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

$38.4K CHF 31.6K

$35.8K CHF 29.5K

7.17%

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

$240 CHF 198

$96.7 CHF 79.6

148.46%

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

$45.61 CHF 37.56

$30.46 CHF 25.09

49.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.94 CHF 34.54

$54.5 CHF 44.86

-23.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 CHF 80.5

$90.0 CHF 74.2

8.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.55 CHF 34.22

$16.71 CHF 13.76

148.65%

Cinema Ticket

$21.62 CHF 17.80

$17.70 CHF 14.57

22.15%

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

$2,467 CHF 2,032

$3,585 CHF 2,952

-31.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.2K CHF 21.6K

$19.6K CHF 16.1K

34.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 CHF 103

$142 CHF 117

-12.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 CHF 41.35

$42.66 CHF 35.14

17.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 121

$162 CHF 134

-9.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 CHF 119

$251 CHF 206

-42.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 CHF 1,368

$1,132 CHF 933

46.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 CHF 1,130

$1,020 CHF 840

34.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,627 CHF 2,164

$1,823 CHF 1,501

44.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,373 CHF 1,954

$1,760 CHF 1,449

34.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.7K CHF 17.0K

$9,738 CHF 8,021

112.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.5K CHF 11.1K

$4,850 CHF 3,994

179.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,930 CHF 5,707

$6,725 CHF 5,538

3.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.87

2.07

-9.66%

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

Last update for Neuchatel: October 12, 2026

Last update for Solothurn: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Neuchatel

$1.4K 43.2%

Solothurn

$1K 37.4% 25.6% $351

Groceries & Markets

Neuchatel

$561 17.7%

Solothurn

$622 22.8% 10.9% $61

Eating Out

Neuchatel

$429 13.5%

Solothurn

$459 16.8% 7.1% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Neuchatel

$328 10.3%

Solothurn

$182 6.7% 44.6% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Neuchatel

$210 6.6%

Solothurn

$269 9.9% 28.2% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Neuchatel

$141 4.4%

Solothurn

$125 4.6% 11% $16

Getting Around

Neuchatel

$133 4.2%

Solothurn

$51 * 1.9% 61.9% $82

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 $1,662 in Neuchatel and $1,132 in Solothurn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Neuchatel pays 3% 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: $116 in Neuchatel vs $143 in Solothurn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $561 vs $622 per month, with Neuchatel cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Neuchatel

🇨🇭 Solothurn

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

Same time as Neuchatel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,641

16,599

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Neuchatel Solothurn 52 km

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Neuchatel
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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

Neuchatel vs Solothurn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Neuchatel and Solothurn differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($3,172 vs $2,728 including rent). Solothurn is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Neuchatel, 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: $1,662 in Neuchatel versus $1,132 in Solothurn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,467 in Neuchatel versus $3,585 in Solothurn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Solothurn – a meal for two runs $143 versus $116 in Neuchatel. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 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, Neuchatel 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 16% less than in Neuchatel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.