Cost of Living Comparison Between Solothurn and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Solothurn and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,824 in Solothurn versus $3,653 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,426 in Solothurn versus $5,857 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,029 in Solothurn versus $8,062 in Basel.

Living in Solothurn costs roughly 23% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Solothurn 111% above, Basel 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.88 CHF 24.35

$30.72 CHF 24.22

0.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$143 CHF 113

$156 CHF 123

-8.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.70 CHF 16.32

$19.37 CHF 15.27

6.87%

Cappuccino

$6.63 CHF 5.23

$6.75 CHF 5.32

-1.78%

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

$5.61 CHF 4.42

$5.67 CHF 4.47

-1.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 CHF 4.04

$5.02 CHF 3.96

2.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.64 CHF 5.24

$10.09 CHF 7.95

-34.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 CHF 4.92

$7.45 CHF 5.87

-16.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.78

$2.24 CHF 1.77

0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 CHF 2.70

$3.73 CHF 2.94

-8.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 CHF 2.67

$4.99 CHF 3.94

-32.06%

Eggs

$7.47 CHF 5.89

$8.16 CHF 6.44

-8.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.54 CHF 23.29

$28.67 CHF 22.60

3.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$30.76 CHF 24.25

$35.93 CHF 28.33

-14.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.99 CHF 30.74

$43.12 CHF 34.00

-9.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 CHF 3.33

$3.98 CHF 3.14

6.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 CHF 2.28

$2.60 CHF 2.05

11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 CHF 2.46

$4.24 CHF 3.35

-26.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 CHF 3.42

$6.96 CHF 5.49

-37.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CHF 1.52

$3.23 CHF 2.55

-40.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 CHF 1.59

$2.94 CHF 2.32

-31.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CHF 1.97

$2.51 CHF 1.98

-0.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 CHF 0.84

$1.55 CHF 1.22

-31.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.30 CHF 8.91

$11.68 CHF 9.21

-3.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.27 CHF 8.09

$13.81 CHF 10.89

-25.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 CHF 2.09

$2.39 CHF 1.88

10.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CHF 1.92

$3.16 CHF 2.49

-23.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.60 CHF 2.84

$4.58 CHF 3.61

-21.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.1 CHF 77.4

$105 CHF 82.4

-6.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 CHF 6.05

$7.99 CHF 6.30

-4.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.19 CHF 3.30

$4.31 CHF 3.40

-2.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 CHF 57.6

$87.2 CHF 68.8

-16.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.82

$2.23 CHF 1.75

3.14%

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

$38.3K CHF 30.2K

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

-5.31%

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

$37.8K CHF 29.8K

$44.3K CHF 34.9K

-14.73%

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

$100 CHF 78.9

$306 CHF 241

-67.32%

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

$30.95 CHF 24.40

$53.5 CHF 42.20

-42.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 CHF 45.53

$58.9 CHF 46.40

-1.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.0 CHF 58.3

$90.3 CHF 71.2

-18.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.25 CHF 19.12

$42.50 CHF 33.51

-42.94%

Cinema Ticket

$24.39 CHF 19.23

$22.72 CHF 17.91

7.35%

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

$3,424 CHF 2,700

$2,574 CHF 2,029

33.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K CHF 15.6K

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

-41.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$140 CHF 111

$134 CHF 105

5.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.53 CHF 33.53

$88.3 CHF 69.6

-51.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 CHF 78.3

$181 CHF 143

-45.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 CHF 148

$227 CHF 179

-17.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 CHF 997

$2,112 CHF 1,665

-40.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 CHF 840

$1,519 CHF 1,197

-29.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,854 CHF 1,462

$3,828 CHF 3,018

-51.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,755 CHF 1,384

$2,802 CHF 2,209

-37.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.3K CHF 8,088

$19.1K CHF 15.0K

-46.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,092 CHF 4,014

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

-64.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,149 CHF 5,636

$8,292 CHF 6,537

-13.79%

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 Solothurn: May 30, 2026

Last update for Basel: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,265 in Solothurn and $2,112 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 16% 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: $143 in Solothurn vs $156 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $604 vs $685 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

Solothurn vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Solothurn wins on cost – living expenses run 29% 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.

On paper, Basel earns 16% 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: $1,265 in Solothurn versus $2,112 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,424 in Solothurn 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 13% 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 $2,824 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Solothurn hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Solothurn 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 Solothurn gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.