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: $2,941 in Olten versus $3,653 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,458 in Olten versus $5,857 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,975 in Olten versus $8,062 in Basel.

Living in Olten costs roughly 19% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Olten 119% above, Basel 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.87 CHF 24.36

$30.72 CHF 24.24

0.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 CHF 82.9

$156 CHF 123

-32.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.57 CHF 13.86

$19.37 CHF 15.28

-9.29%

Cappuccino

$5.47 CHF 4.31

$6.75 CHF 5.33

-18.96%

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

$5.34 CHF 4.22

$5.67 CHF 4.47

-5.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 CHF 3.65

$5.02 CHF 3.96

-7.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 CHF 5.43

$10.09 CHF 7.96

-31.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 CHF 4.97

$7.45 CHF 5.88

-15.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 CHF 1.65

$2.24 CHF 1.77

-6.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 CHF 2.68

$3.73 CHF 2.95

-8.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 CHF 3.26

$4.99 CHF 3.94

-17.43%

Eggs

$7.54 CHF 5.95

$8.16 CHF 6.44

-7.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.64 CHF 17.07

$28.67 CHF 22.62

-24.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.89 CHF 20.43

$35.93 CHF 28.36

-27.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.22 CHF 31.74

$43.12 CHF 34.03

-6.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 CHF 3.19

$3.98 CHF 3.14

1.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.90

$2.60 CHF 2.05

-7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 CHF 2.35

$4.24 CHF 3.35

-29.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 CHF 3.99

$6.96 CHF 5.49

-27.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 CHF 2.17

$3.23 CHF 2.55

-14.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 CHF 1.87

$2.94 CHF 2.32

-19.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CHF 1.94

$2.51 CHF 1.98

-1.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CHF 1.20

$1.55 CHF 1.22

-1.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.95 CHF 8.64

$11.68 CHF 9.22

-6.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.42 CHF 12.17

$13.81 CHF 10.90

11.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$2.39 CHF 1.89

-10.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.91

$3.16 CHF 2.49

-23.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 CHF 3.10

$4.58 CHF 3.61

-14.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 CHF 79.0

$105 CHF 82.5

-4.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.53 CHF 5.94

$7.99 CHF 6.31

-5.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.14 CHF 3.27

$4.31 CHF 3.40

-3.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.5 CHF 48.53

$87.2 CHF 68.8

-29.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.80

$2.23 CHF 1.76

2.24%

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

$40.7K CHF 32.1K

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

0.62%

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

$39.3K CHF 31.0K

$44.3K CHF 35.0K

-11.28%

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

$260 CHF 205

$306 CHF 242

-15.01%

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

$33.65 CHF 26.56

$53.5 CHF 42.24

-37.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 CHF 45.54

$58.9 CHF 46.44

-1.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 CHF 48.36

$90.3 CHF 71.2

-32.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.65 CHF 14.72

$42.50 CHF 33.54

-56.12%

Cinema Ticket

$24.88 CHF 19.64

$22.72 CHF 17.93

9.51%

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

$3,433 CHF 2,709

$2,574 CHF 2,031

33.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.9K CHF 31.5K

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

17.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 CHF 111

$134 CHF 105

5.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.2 CHF 48.33

$88.3 CHF 69.7

-30.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 CHF 118

$181 CHF 143

-17.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 156

$227 CHF 179

-12.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 CHF 985

$2,112 CHF 1,666

-40.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 CHF 839

$1,519 CHF 1,199

-29.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 CHF 1,568

$3,828 CHF 3,021

-48.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 CHF 1,348

$2,802 CHF 2,211

-39.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,351 CHF 3,433

$8,292 CHF 6,544

-47.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

2.55

-18.04%

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

Last update for Olten: May 30, 2026

Last update for Basel: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,248 in Olten and $2,112 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 91% 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: $105 in Olten vs $156 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $576 vs $685 per month, with Olten 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

Olten vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Olten wins on cost – living expenses run 24% 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, Basel earns 91% less. 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: $1,248 in Olten versus $2,112 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,433 in Olten versus $2,574 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 $2,941 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 24% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.