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: $2,801 in Solothurn versus $3,544 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,577 in Solothurn versus $5,518 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,353 in Solothurn versus $7,492 in Basel.

Living in Solothurn costs roughly 21% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Solothurn 103% above, Basel 157% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.41 CHF 24.82

$29.93 CHF 24.42

1.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 122

$125 CHF 102

19.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.46 CHF 15.06

$18.69 CHF 15.25

-1.23%

Cappuccino

$6.68 CHF 5.45

$6.73 CHF 5.49

-0.74%

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

$5.63 CHF 4.60

$6.33 CHF 5.17

-11.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 CHF 4.37

$5.86 CHF 4.78

-8.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.92 CHF 5.65

$9.34 CHF 7.62

-25.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.23 CHF 5.08

$10.07 CHF 8.22

-38.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.82

$2.32 CHF 1.89

-3.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 CHF 3.12

$3.05 CHF 2.49

25.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 CHF 2.88

$3.32 CHF 2.71

6.33%

Eggs

$8.83 CHF 7.20

$8.34 CHF 6.80

5.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.83 CHF 18.63

$26.21 CHF 21.39

-12.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.51 CHF 21.64

$27.85 CHF 22.73

-4.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$61.7 CHF 50.3

$42.56 CHF 34.73

44.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.41

$3.66 CHF 2.99

-19.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CHF 1.18

$2.40 CHF 1.96

-39.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 CHF 2.87

$2.99 CHF 2.44

17.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CHF 3.45

$4.83 CHF 3.94

-12.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 CHF 1.36

$1.79 CHF 1.46

-6.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.45

$1.95 CHF 1.59

-8.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 CHF 1.33

$2.33 CHF 1.90

-30.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 CHF 0.81

$1.66 CHF 1.36

-39.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.32 CHF 9.24

$11.63 CHF 9.49

-2.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.32 CHF 10.87

$12.24 CHF 9.99

8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 CHF 2.36

$2.49 CHF 2.03

16.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 CHF 2.67

$3.18 CHF 2.59

2.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.85 CHF 3.96

$4.44 CHF 3.63

9.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 88.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 CHF 6.91

$7.99 CHF 6.52

5.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.75 CHF 3.88

$4.59 CHF 3.75

3.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$92.5 CHF 75.5

$88.0 CHF 71.8

5.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 CHF 1.93

$2.29 CHF 1.87

3.06%

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

$31.4K CHF 25.6K

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

-29.00%

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

$36.2K CHF 29.5K

$39.6K CHF 32.3K

-8.76%

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

$98.0 CHF 80.0

$299 CHF 244

-67.16%

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

$30.80 CHF 25.13

$53.3 CHF 43.47

-42.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 CHF 47.73

$66.0 CHF 53.9

-11.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.9 CHF 75.0

$85.8 CHF 70.0

7.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 CHF 14.08

$59.0 CHF 48.17

-70.78%

Cinema Ticket

$18.52 CHF 15.11

$23.81 CHF 19.44

-22.22%

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

$3,692 CHF 3,013

$3,026 CHF 2,470

22.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K CHF 15.9K

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

-41.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$143 CHF 117

$147 CHF 120

-2.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.91 CHF 35.84

$81.6 CHF 66.6

-46.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$171 CHF 139

$164 CHF 134

4.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$258 CHF 210

$199 CHF 162

29.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 CHF 980

$2,141 CHF 1,747

-43.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 CHF 875

$1,528 CHF 1,247

-29.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 CHF 1,519

$3,615 CHF 2,950

-48.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,815 CHF 1,482

$2,890 CHF 2,358

-37.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,687 CHF 7,906

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

-47.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 CHF 4,089

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

-65.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,908 CHF 5,637

$7,336 CHF 5,987

-5.83%

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 Solothurn: September 8, 2026

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,201 in Solothurn and $2,141 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 6% 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: $149 in Solothurn vs $125 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $629 vs $597 per month, with Basel 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 27% 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, salaries run 6% 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: $1,201 in Solothurn versus $2,141 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,692 in Solothurn versus $3,026 in Basel. 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 $149 versus $125 in Basel. 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 work as nomad bases, but Solothurn delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,801 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 27% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.