Cost of Living Comparison Between Olten and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Olten and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,169 in Olten versus $3,566 in Basel.

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

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

Living in Olten costs roughly 11% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.18 CHF 27.65

$29.61 CHF 23.95

15.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 CHF 99.9

$128 CHF 103

-3.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.95 CHF 14.52

$18.47 CHF 14.94

-2.82%

Cappuccino

$6.59 CHF 5.33

$6.76 CHF 5.47

-2.51%

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

$5.56 CHF 4.50

$6.33 CHF 5.12

-12.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 CHF 4.46

$6.15 CHF 4.98

-10.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.34 CHF 7.56

$8.91 CHF 7.21

4.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.56 CHF 6.12

$9.93 CHF 8.03

-23.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.83

$2.34 CHF 1.90

-2.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.99 CHF 3.22

$3.22 CHF 2.60

23.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 CHF 3.15

$3.36 CHF 2.72

15.77%

Eggs

$8.76 CHF 7.09

$8.03 CHF 6.50

9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.96 CHF 21.00

$26.94 CHF 21.79

-3.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.37 CHF 22.14

$27.83 CHF 22.51

-1.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$47.48 CHF 38.42

$41.82 CHF 33.83

13.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.25 CHF 3.44

$3.60 CHF 2.91

18.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 CHF 2.29

$2.35 CHF 1.90

20.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 CHF 2.48

$3.12 CHF 2.53

-1.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 CHF 3.93

$4.84 CHF 3.91

0.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 CHF 2.17

$1.73 CHF 1.40

54.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 CHF 1.80

$2.07 CHF 1.67

7.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 2.01

$2.33 CHF 1.88

6.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 CHF 1.05

$1.63 CHF 1.32

-20.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.06 CHF 8.95

$11.39 CHF 9.21

-2.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.74 CHF 11.12

$12.41 CHF 10.04

10.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 CHF 2.22

$2.62 CHF 2.12

4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.55

$3.21 CHF 2.60

-1.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.41 CHF 4.37

$4.60 CHF 3.72

17.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 CHF 88.6

$108 CHF 87.7

0.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.24 CHF 6.67

$8.16 CHF 6.60

0.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.80 CHF 3.88

$4.67 CHF 3.78

2.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$90.3 CHF 73.0

$85.9 CHF 69.5

5.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.85

$2.27 CHF 1.84

0.44%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.9K

$43.8K CHF 35.5K

-7.33%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.3K

$39.8K CHF 32.2K

0.22%

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

$287 CHF 233

$304 CHF 246

-5.39%

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

$34.09 CHF 27.58

$54.2 CHF 43.83

-37.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.15 CHF 39.76

$64.7 CHF 52.3

-24.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.9 CHF 67.1

$83.3 CHF 67.4

-0.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.5 CHF 47.33

Cinema Ticket

$21.24 CHF 17.18

$23.78 CHF 19.24

-10.68%

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

$3,643 CHF 2,947

$3,055 CHF 2,472

19.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.8K CHF 34.6K

$32.6K CHF 26.4K

31.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$143 CHF 115

$147 CHF 119

-3.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 CHF 48.88

$81.7 CHF 66.1

-26.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$168 CHF 136

$166 CHF 135

0.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$219 CHF 178

$206 CHF 167

6.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CHF 1,020

$2,095 CHF 1,695

-39.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 CHF 856

$1,529 CHF 1,237

-30.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 CHF 1,605

$3,547 CHF 2,870

-44.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,954 CHF 1,581

$2,865 CHF 2,318

-31.78%

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)

$4,404 CHF 3,563

$7,405 CHF 5,990

-40.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

2.43

-14.81%

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

Last update for Olten: August 31, 2026

Last update for Basel: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Olten and $2,095 in Basel. 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: $123 in Olten vs $128 in Basel. Groceries flip the comparison at $631 vs $598, 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

Olten vs Basel: 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.

On paper, salaries run 68% lower in Basel. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,260 in Olten versus $2,095 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,643 in Olten versus $3,055 in Basel. 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, Olten and Basel 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.