Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Olten and Basel

For one person, living is cheaper in Olten: $3,049 a month against $3,530 in Basel, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Basel outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

148

Cost of Living Index in Olten
Learn more

Olten Living Index
170

Cost of Living Index in Basel
Learn more

Basel Living Index

Jump to prices

Olten

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,049

/mo nomad

Basel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Olten and in Basel

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,049 in Olten versus $3,530 in Basel.

Olten $3,049
Basel $3,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,812 in Olten versus $5,502 in Basel.

Olten $4,812
Basel $5,502

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,576 in Olten versus $7,475 in Basel.

Olten $6,576
Basel $7,475

Living in Olten costs roughly 14% less than in Basel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Olten 125% above, Basel 160% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.18 CHF 27.33

$30.81 CHF 25.37

7.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 100

$124 CHF 102

-2.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.69 CHF 14.57

$18.05 CHF 14.87

-1.99%

Cappuccino

$6.29 CHF 5.18

$6.21 CHF 5.12

1.29%

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

$5.51 CHF 4.54

$6.29 CHF 5.18

-12.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 CHF 4.29

$5.84 CHF 4.81

-10.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.22 CHF 7.59

$9.11 CHF 7.50

1.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.52 CHF 6.19

$9.86 CHF 8.12

-23.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CHF 1.73

$2.29 CHF 1.89

-7.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 CHF 3.19

$3.10 CHF 2.55

24.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.81 CHF 3.14

$3.18 CHF 2.62

19.81%

Eggs

$8.37 CHF 6.90

$7.73 CHF 6.37

8.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.10 CHF 21.50

$26.34 CHF 21.69

-0.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.77 CHF 22.05

$27.70 CHF 22.82

-3.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$46.34 CHF 38.16

$40.59 CHF 33.43

14.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 CHF 3.31

$3.57 CHF 2.94

12.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 CHF 2.22

$2.30 CHF 1.90

16.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 CHF 2.45

$2.92 CHF 2.41

1.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 CHF 3.86

$4.53 CHF 3.73

3.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.05

$1.68 CHF 1.39

48.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.76

$1.94 CHF 1.60

10.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 CHF 2.10

$2.23 CHF 1.84

14.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CHF 1.06

$1.61 CHF 1.33

-19.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.85 CHF 8.93

$11.46 CHF 9.44

-5.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.12 CHF 11.63

$12.21 CHF 10.06

15.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 CHF 2.30

$2.49 CHF 2.05

12.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 CHF 2.68

$3.01 CHF 2.48

7.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.30 CHF 4.37

$4.62 CHF 3.81

14.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 CHF 88.3

$104 CHF 85.5

3.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 CHF 6.91

$7.90 CHF 6.51

6.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.53 CHF 3.73

$4.74 CHF 3.90

-4.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$90.2 CHF 74.3

$86.5 CHF 71.2

4.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.78

$2.40 CHF 1.98

-10.00%

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

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

0.54%

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

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

$39.4K CHF 32.5K

-0.26%

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

$275 CHF 227

$288 CHF 237

-4.49%

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

$32.97 CHF 27.15

$45.72 CHF 37.66

-27.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.51 CHF 39.13

$62.8 CHF 51.8

-24.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.2 CHF 66.1

$82.5 CHF 68.0

-2.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.6 CHF 47.41

Cinema Ticket

$21.01 CHF 17.30

$22.67 CHF 18.67

-7.32%

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

$3,608 CHF 2,971

$2,996 CHF 2,468

20.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

$32.9K CHF 27.1K

26.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$143 CHF 118

$145 CHF 119

-1.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 CHF 48.81

$79.9 CHF 65.8

-25.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$167 CHF 137

$166 CHF 136

0.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$210 CHF 173

$196 CHF 161

7.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 CHF 997

$2,016 CHF 1,660

-39.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 CHF 852

$1,515 CHF 1,248

-31.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 CHF 1,621

$3,521 CHF 2,900

-44.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,948 CHF 1,605

$2,826 CHF 2,327

-31.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K CHF 15.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.4K CHF 11.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,837 CHF 4,808

$6,949 CHF 5,723

-15.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

2.42

-14.46%

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

Last update for Olten: October 20, 2026

Last update for Basel: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Olten

$1K 34%

Basel

$1.5K 42.9% 46.4% $481

Groceries & Markets

Olten

$617 20.3%

Basel

$583 16.5% 5.6% $34

Eating Out

Olten

$498 16.3%

Basel

$489 13.9% 1.8% $9.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Olten

$356 11.7%

Basel

$397 11.2% 11.5% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Olten

$261 8.6%

Basel

$264 7.5% 1.2% $3

Getting Around

Olten

$160 5.2%

Basel

$154 4.4% 3.5% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Olten

$122 4%

Basel

$128 3.6% 4.6% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,210 in Olten and $2,016 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 19% 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: $122 in Olten vs $124 in Basel. Groceries flip the comparison at $617 vs $583, with Basel cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Olten

🇨🇭 Basel

🕒 Local time

19:44 7:44 PM

Same time as Olten

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,280

174,491

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Olten Basel 33 km

From you

Olten
Basel

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

Olten vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Olten wins on cost – living expenses run 16% 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 19% 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: $1,210 in Olten versus $2,016 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,608 in Olten versus $2,996 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Basel pay roughly 6% 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 $3,049 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 16% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.