Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Solothurn and Mendrisio

For one person, living is cheaper in Solothurn: $2,728 a month against $3,034 in Mendrisio, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mendrisio outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Solothurn
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$2,728
/mo nomad
Mendrisio
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,034
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Solothurn and in Mendrisio

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

A single person spends $2,728 per month in Solothurn vs $3,034 in Mendrisio, rent included.

  • Solothurn $2,728
  • Mendrisio $3,034

A couple spends around $4,408 per month in Solothurn vs $3,758 in Mendrisio, rent included.

  • Solothurn $4,408
  • Mendrisio $3,758

A family of three spends $6,088 per month in Solothurn vs $4,483 in Mendrisio, rent included.

  • Solothurn $6,088
  • Mendrisio $4,483

Solothurn is about 10% cheaper than Mendrisio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Solothurn and Mendrisio sit above the global median – Solothurn by 102%, Mendrisio by 125%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Solothurn
Mendrisio
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$30.10 CHF 24.79
$34.26 CHF 28.21
-12.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$143 CHF 118
$177 CHF 146
-19.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$18.34 CHF 15.10
$18.99 CHF 15.64
-3.42%
Cappuccino
$6.40 CHF 5.27
$4.80 CHF 3.96
33.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 CHF 4.53
$5.41 CHF 4.46
1.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.11 CHF 4.21
$4.37 CHF 3.60
16.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.42 CHF 5.28
$8.36 CHF 6.88
-23.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.95 CHF 4.90
$7.03 CHF 5.79
-15.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Solothurn
Mendrisio
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.20 CHF 1.81
$2.18 CHF 1.80
0.92%
White Bread (500g)
$3.71 CHF 3.05
$3.70 CHF 3.04
0.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.42 CHF 2.81
$4.15 CHF 3.42
-17.59%
Eggs
$8.35 CHF 6.88
$7.07 CHF 5.83
18.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$22.38 CHF 18.43
$25.44 CHF 20.95
-12.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$26.23 CHF 21.61
$28.11 CHF 23.15
-6.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$62.0 CHF 51.1
$39.04 CHF 32.15
58.84%
Apples (1kg)
$2.80 CHF 2.30
$3.15 CHF 2.60
-11.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 CHF 1.16
$1.70 CHF 1.40
-17.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.46 CHF 2.85
$2.56 CHF 2.11
35.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.31 CHF 3.55
$6.49 CHF 5.35
-33.59%
Potato (1kg)
$1.63 CHF 1.34
$1.84 CHF 1.52
-11.41%
Onion (1kg)
$1.74 CHF 1.44
$2.13 CHF 1.76
-18.31%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.60 CHF 1.32
$2.34 CHF 1.93
-31.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 CHF 0.78
$1.16 CHF 0.96
-18.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.83 CHF 8.92
$10.74 CHF 8.84
0.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.82 CHF 11.38
$14.64 CHF 12.06
-5.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.76 CHF 2.27
$3.36 CHF 2.77
-17.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 CHF 2.50
$4.08 CHF 3.36
-25.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Solothurn
Mendrisio
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.77 CHF 3.93
$3.03 CHF 2.50
57.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.21 CHF 6.76
$7.07 CHF 5.82
16.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.66 CHF 3.84
$5.38 CHF 4.43
-13.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$87.2 CHF 71.8
$78.3 CHF 64.5
11.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.26 CHF 1.86
$2.20 CHF 1.81
2.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K CHF 24.6K
$34.6K CHF 28.5K
-13.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.8K CHF 29.5K
$38.6K CHF 31.8K
-7.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Solothurn
Mendrisio
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.7 CHF 79.6
$304 CHF 250
-68.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.46 CHF 25.09
$25.15 CHF 20.71
21.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.5 CHF 44.86
$48.38 CHF 39.85
12.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Solothurn
Mendrisio
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$90.0 CHF 74.2
$73.1 CHF 60.2
23.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.71 CHF 13.76
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.70 CHF 14.57
$21.74 CHF 17.91
-18.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Solothurn
Mendrisio
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,585 CHF 2,952
$3,187 CHF 2,625
12.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.6K CHF 16.1K
$38.5K CHF 31.7K
-49.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Solothurn
Mendrisio
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$142 CHF 117
$107 CHF 87.8
32.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.66 CHF 35.14
$47.52 CHF 39.14
-10.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$162 CHF 134
$164 CHF 135
-1.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$251 CHF 206
$166 CHF 137
50.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Solothurn
Mendrisio
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,132 CHF 933
$1,381 CHF 1,137
-17.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,020 CHF 840
$1,199 CHF 987
-14.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,823 CHF 1,501
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,760 CHF 1,449
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,738 CHF 8,021
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,850 CHF 3,994
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Solothurn
Mendrisio
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,725 CHF 5,538
$6,944 CHF 5,719
-3.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.07
2.37
-12.66%

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

Last update for Solothurn: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mendrisio: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Solothurn
$1K
Mendrisio
$1.2K 17.5% $178
Groceries & Markets
Solothurn
$622
Mendrisio
$594 4.5% $28
Eating Out
Solothurn
$459
Mendrisio
$484 5.4% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Solothurn
$269
Mendrisio
$218 18.8% $51
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Solothurn
$182
Mendrisio
$377 108% $196
Sport & Entertainment
Solothurn
$125
Mendrisio
$117 7.1% $8.9
Getting Around
Solothurn
$51 *
Mendrisio
$46 * 8.9% $4.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,132 in Solothurn versus $1,381 in Mendrisio. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Mendrisio, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $143 in Solothurn versus $177 in Mendrisio. Groceries tell a different story – $622 in Solothurn vs $594 in Mendrisio – so Mendrisio wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇭 Solothurn
🇨🇭 Mendrisio
🕒 Local time
04:39 4:39 AM
04:39 4:39 AM
Same time as Solothurn
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
16,599
15,562
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Solothurn Mendrisio 190 km
From you
  • Solothurn
  • Mendrisio

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
Solothurn vs Mendrisio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mendrisio cheaper than Solothurn?
Yes – Mendrisio is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,091 per month in Solothurn and $4,551 in Mendrisio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Solothurn, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Solothurn and in Mendrisio?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,728 in Solothurn and $3,034 in Mendrisio. That's a gap of about 11%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $3,585 per month in Solothurn and $3,187 in Mendrisio. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $3,000 enough to cover costs in Solothurn or in Mendrisio?
$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,728 in Solothurn and $3,034 in Mendrisio. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Solothurn or Mendrisio more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Solothurn – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Solothurn or Mendrisio?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Solothurn. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mendrisio makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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