Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Solothurn and Neuchatel

For one person, living is cheaper in Solothurn: $2,728 a month against $3,172 in Neuchatel, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Neuchatel outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

133

Cost of Living Index in Solothurn
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Solothurn Living Index
156

Cost of Living Index in Neuchatel
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Neuchatel Living Index

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Solothurn

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,728

/mo nomad

Neuchatel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,172

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Solothurn and in Neuchatel

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 Neuchatel actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,728 in Solothurn versus $3,172 in Neuchatel.

Solothurn $2,728
Neuchatel $3,172

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,408 in Solothurn versus $4,877 in Neuchatel.

Solothurn $4,408
Neuchatel $4,877

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,088 in Solothurn versus $6,583 in Neuchatel.

Solothurn $6,088
Neuchatel $6,583

Living in Solothurn costs roughly 14% less than in Neuchatel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Solothurn 102% above, Neuchatel 135% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.10 CHF 24.79

$26.68 CHF 21.98

12.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$143 CHF 118

$116 CHF 95.6

23.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.34 CHF 15.10

$17.96 CHF 14.79

2.12%

Cappuccino

$6.40 CHF 5.27

$5.90 CHF 4.86

8.47%

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

$5.50 CHF 4.53

$3.98 CHF 3.28

38.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 CHF 4.21

$3.35 CHF 2.76

52.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CHF 5.28

$9.38 CHF 7.73

-31.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.95 CHF 4.90

$7.20 CHF 5.93

-17.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.81

$2.06 CHF 1.70

6.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.71 CHF 3.05

$3.09 CHF 2.54

20.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.42 CHF 2.81

$3.19 CHF 2.63

7.21%

Eggs

$8.35 CHF 6.88

$6.84 CHF 5.63

22.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.38 CHF 18.43

$25.39 CHF 20.91

-11.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.23 CHF 21.61

$27.24 CHF 22.43

-3.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$62.0 CHF 51.1

$39.83 CHF 32.80

55.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 CHF 2.30

$3.17 CHF 2.61

-11.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 CHF 1.16

$2.15 CHF 1.77

-34.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 CHF 2.85

$2.91 CHF 2.39

18.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 CHF 3.55

$4.59 CHF 3.78

-6.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 CHF 1.34

$1.66 CHF 1.37

-1.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 CHF 1.44

$1.96 CHF 1.61

-11.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 CHF 1.32

$2.22 CHF 1.83

-27.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 CHF 0.78

$1.21 CHF 1.00

-21.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.83 CHF 8.92

$10.92 CHF 8.99

-0.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.82 CHF 11.38

$12.01 CHF 9.90

15.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 CHF 2.27

$2.54 CHF 2.10

8.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.50

$2.52 CHF 2.08

20.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.77 CHF 3.93

$2.94 CHF 2.42

62.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.8 CHF 75.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 CHF 6.76

$7.91 CHF 6.51

3.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.66 CHF 3.84

$4.26 CHF 3.51

9.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 71.8

$76.4 CHF 62.9

14.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$2.33 CHF 1.92

-3.00%

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

$29.9K CHF 24.6K

$38.9K CHF 32.0K

-23.08%

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

$35.8K CHF 29.5K

$38.4K CHF 31.6K

-6.69%

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

$96.7 CHF 79.6

$240 CHF 198

-59.75%

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

$30.46 CHF 25.09

$45.61 CHF 37.56

-33.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.5 CHF 44.86

$41.94 CHF 34.54

29.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.0 CHF 74.2

$97.8 CHF 80.5

-7.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.71 CHF 13.76

$41.55 CHF 34.22

-59.78%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 CHF 14.57

$21.62 CHF 17.80

-18.13%

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

$3,585 CHF 2,952

$2,467 CHF 2,032

45.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K CHF 16.1K

$26.2K CHF 21.6K

-25.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 117

$125 CHF 103

13.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.66 CHF 35.14

$50.2 CHF 41.35

-15.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$162 CHF 134

$147 CHF 121

10.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$251 CHF 206

$144 CHF 119

74.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 CHF 933

$1,662 CHF 1,368

-31.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 CHF 840

$1,372 CHF 1,130

-25.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 CHF 1,501

$2,627 CHF 2,164

-30.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,760 CHF 1,449

$2,373 CHF 1,954

-25.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,738 CHF 8,021

$20.7K CHF 17.0K

-52.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,850 CHF 3,994

$13.5K CHF 11.1K

-64.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,725 CHF 5,538

$6,930 CHF 5,707

-2.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

1.87

10.70%

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

Last update for Solothurn: October 11, 2026

Last update for Neuchatel: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Solothurn

$1K 37.4%

Neuchatel

$1.4K 43.2% 34.4% $351

Groceries & Markets

Solothurn

$622 22.8%

Neuchatel

$561 17.7% 9.8% $61

Eating Out

Solothurn

$459 16.8%

Neuchatel

$429 13.5% 6.6% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Solothurn

$269 9.9%

Neuchatel

$210 6.6% 22% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Solothurn

$182 6.7%

Neuchatel

$328 10.3% 80.5% $146

Sport & Entertainment

Solothurn

$125 4.6%

Neuchatel

$141 4.4% 12.4% $16

Getting Around

Solothurn

$51 * 1.9%

Neuchatel

$133 4.2% 162% $82

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,132 in Solothurn and $1,662 in Neuchatel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Neuchatel pays 3% 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 $116 in Neuchatel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $622 vs $561 per month, with Neuchatel cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Solothurn

🇨🇭 Neuchatel

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

Same time as Solothurn

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,599

33,641

💱 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

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Solothurn Neuchatel 52 km

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Solothurn
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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 Neuchatel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Solothurn and Neuchatel differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,728 vs $3,172 including rent). Solothurn is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Neuchatel. 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: $1,132 in Solothurn versus $1,662 in Neuchatel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,585 in Solothurn versus $2,467 in Neuchatel. 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 $143 versus $116 in Neuchatel. 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 cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Solothurn and Neuchatel 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 16% less than in Neuchatel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.