Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aarau and Geneva

For one person, living is cheaper in Aarau: $2,813 a month against $4,079 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Aarau
Learn more

Aarau Living Index
198

Cost of Living Index in Geneva
Learn more

Geneva Living Index

Jump to prices

Aarau

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,813

/mo nomad

Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,079

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aarau and in Geneva

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

A single person spends $2,813 per month in Aarau vs $4,079 in Geneva, rent included.

Aarau $2,813
Geneva $4,079

A couple spends around $4,613 per month in Aarau vs $6,308 in Geneva, rent included.

Aarau $4,613
Geneva $6,308

A family of three spends $6,413 per month in Aarau vs $8,538 in Geneva, rent included.

Aarau $6,413
Geneva $8,538

Aarau is about 31% cheaper than Geneva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Aarau and Geneva sit above the global median – Aarau by 107%, Geneva by 200%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.72 CHF 24.51

$30.31 CHF 25.00

-1.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 CHF 88.6

$129 CHF 107

-16.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.33 CHF 15.12

$19.47 CHF 16.06

-5.86%

Cappuccino

$5.90 CHF 4.87

$6.40 CHF 5.27

-7.81%

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

$5.27 CHF 4.35

$4.66 CHF 3.84

13.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 CHF 3.96

$4.13 CHF 3.41

16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 CHF 4.91

$9.82 CHF 8.10

-39.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 CHF 5.35

$9.87 CHF 8.14

-34.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 CHF 1.71

$2.35 CHF 1.94

-11.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 CHF 2.96

$3.26 CHF 2.69

10.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 CHF 2.20

$3.39 CHF 2.79

-21.24%

Eggs

$7.06 CHF 5.82

$8.18 CHF 6.74

-13.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.59 CHF 26.06

$25.05 CHF 20.66

26.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.34 CHF 24.20

$29.22 CHF 24.10

0.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.32 CHF 34.08

$42.51 CHF 35.06

-2.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 CHF 2.36

$3.53 CHF 2.92

-18.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 CHF 1.40

$1.63 CHF 1.35

4.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.99

$2.85 CHF 2.35

-15.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 CHF 4.74

$4.90 CHF 4.04

17.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 CHF 1.40

$1.64 CHF 1.35

3.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 CHF 1.60

$2.29 CHF 1.89

-15.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 CHF 1.89

$2.19 CHF 1.81

4.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CHF 0.91

$1.66 CHF 1.37

-33.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.84 CHF 8.94

$10.97 CHF 9.05

-1.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 CHF 8.62

$12.16 CHF 10.03

-13.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 CHF 2.11

$3.21 CHF 2.65

-20.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 CHF 2.37

$3.30 CHF 2.72

-12.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.95 CHF 4.08

$3.55 CHF 2.93

39.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$147 CHF 122

$85.8 CHF 70.8

71.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 CHF 3.72

$7.61 CHF 6.28

-40.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.87 CHF 2.37

$3.76 CHF 3.10

-23.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.8 CHF 50.2

$64.2 CHF 52.9

-5.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.81

$2.35 CHF 1.94

-6.81%

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

$38.6K CHF 31.8K

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

-2.44%

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

$38.6K CHF 31.9K

$38.8K CHF 32.0K

-0.55%

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

$121 CHF 99.6

$280 CHF 231

-56.87%

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

$28.73 CHF 23.69

$37.96 CHF 31.31

-24.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 CHF 47.25

$57.6 CHF 47.47

-0.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.2 CHF 80.1

$77.0 CHF 63.5

26.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.5 CHF 50.7

$43.34 CHF 35.75

41.90%

Cinema Ticket

$21.92 CHF 18.08

$23.96 CHF 19.76

-8.51%

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

$3,172 CHF 2,616

$2,484 CHF 2,049

27.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K CHF 20.2K

$35.2K CHF 29.0K

-30.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 CHF 74.3

$133 CHF 110

-32.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.5 CHF 59.0

$79.1 CHF 65.2

-9.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 CHF 89.8

$169 CHF 139

-35.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 CHF 138

$188 CHF 155

-11.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 CHF 1,041

$2,825 CHF 2,330

-55.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 CHF 859

$2,115 CHF 1,744

-50.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 CHF 1,874

$5,088 CHF 4,197

-55.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 CHF 1,777

$3,963 CHF 3,268

-45.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$22.5K CHF 18.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.1K CHF 10.0K

$16.3K CHF 13.5K

-25.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,963 CHF 5,743

$7,271 CHF 5,997

-4.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.31

1.98

16.67%

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

Last update for Aarau: October 26, 2026

Last update for Geneva: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aarau

$1K 37%

Geneva

$2.1K 51.9% 103% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Aarau

$595 21.1%

Geneva

$600 14.7% 0.8% $4.9

Eating Out

Aarau

$447 15.9%

Geneva

$482 11.8% 7.9% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aarau

$207 7.4%

Geneva

$375 9.2% 81.6% $169

Clothing & Footwear

Aarau

$197 7%

Geneva

$256 6.3% 29.9% $59

Getting Around

Aarau

$186 6.6%

Geneva

$126 3.1% 32.1% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Aarau

$141 5%

Geneva

$125 3.1% 11.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,263 in Aarau versus $2,825 in Geneva. 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 4% higher in Geneva, 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 $107 in Aarau versus $129 in Geneva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $595 vs $600 – making Aarau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Aarau

🇨🇭 Geneva

🕒 Local time

04:10 4:10 AM

Same time as Aarau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,191

191,557

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Aarau Geneva 200 km

From you

Aarau
Geneva

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

Aarau vs Geneva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Geneva costs about 45% more than Aarau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,220 per month in Aarau and $6,118 in Geneva. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aarau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,263 there versus $2,825 in Geneva.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in Aarau and $129 in Geneva. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 42% less in Geneva. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,813 in Aarau and $4,079 in Geneva. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Geneva has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,813 in Aarau to $4,079 in Geneva. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Aarau. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Geneva makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.