Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aarau and George Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Aarau: $2,794 a month against $4,936 in George Town, rent and utilities included – about $25,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Aarau
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Aarau Living Index
238

Cost of Living Index in George Town
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George Town Living Index

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Aarau

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,794

/mo nomad

George Town

🇰🇾 Cayman Islands

$4,936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aarau and in George Town

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

A single person spends $2,794 per month in Aarau vs $4,936 in George Town, rent included.

Aarau $2,794
George Town $4,936

A couple spends around $4,568 per month in Aarau vs $7,405 in George Town, rent included.

Aarau $4,568
George Town $7,405

A family of three spends $6,342 per month in Aarau vs $9,875 in George Town, rent included.

Aarau $6,342
George Town $9,875

Aarau is about 43% cheaper than George Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Aarau and George Town sit above the global median – Aarau by 107%, George Town by 266%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.07 CHF 23.94

$30.24 KYD 24.80

-3.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 CHF 87.6

$115 KYD 94.0

-7.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.63 CHF 14.52

$16.97 KYD 13.91

3.89%

Cappuccino

$5.80 CHF 4.78

$7.16 KYD 5.87

-18.99%

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

$5.22 CHF 4.30

$2.99 KYD 2.45

74.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 CHF 3.87

$2.86 KYD 2.35

64.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 CHF 5.06

$7.10 KYD 5.82

-13.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 CHF 5.44

$9.42 KYD 7.73

-29.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CHF 1.69

$4.67 KYD 3.83

-56.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 CHF 2.98

$4.23 KYD 3.47

-14.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 CHF 2.13

$4.40 KYD 3.61

-41.14%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.95

$7.29 KYD 5.98

-0.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.30 CHF 24.96

$55.9 KYD 45.87

-45.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.34 CHF 24.16

$18.98 KYD 15.56

54.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.30 CHF 33.19

$19.38 KYD 15.89

107.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.38

$7.47 KYD 6.12

-61.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.46

$3.62 KYD 2.96

-50.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 2.01

$6.01 KYD 4.93

-59.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 CHF 4.53

$7.95 KYD 6.52

-30.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 CHF 1.37

$4.03 KYD 3.31

-58.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 CHF 1.61

$3.96 KYD 3.24

-50.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CHF 1.87

$3.18 KYD 2.61

-28.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CHF 0.98

$2.25 KYD 1.85

-47.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.86 CHF 8.94

$14.50 KYD 11.89

-25.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.21 CHF 8.41

$25.15 KYD 20.62

-59.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.05

$4.14 KYD 3.40

-39.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 CHF 2.36

$5.37 KYD 4.40

-46.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.11 CHF 4.20

$2.34 KYD 1.92

118.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$146 CHF 120

$79.7 KYD 65.4

83.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.84 CHF 5.64

$19.10 KYD 15.66

-64.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 CHF 2.74

$3.86 KYD 3.16

-13.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.8 CHF 48.45

$45.76 KYD 37.52

28.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$1.65 KYD 1.35

34.55%

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

$42.9K CHF 35.4K

$42.3K KYD 34.7K

1.55%

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

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

$43.1K KYD 35.3K

-8.82%

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

$120 CHF 98.9

$459 KYD 377

-73.86%

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

$30.84 CHF 25.40

$118 KYD 96.4

-73.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 CHF 45.84

$112 KYD 91.9

-50.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.9 CHF 80.6

$213 KYD 174

-53.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.6 CHF 49.04

$35.02 KYD 28.71

70.05%

Cinema Ticket

$21.42 CHF 17.64

$18.78 KYD 15.40

14.06%

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

$3,152 CHF 2,596

$1,840 KYD 1,509

71.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K CHF 26.7K

$26.2K KYD 21.5K

23.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 CHF 73.0

$85.9 KYD 70.4

3.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.6 CHF 58.2

$74.8 KYD 61.3

-5.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 CHF 90.1

$138 KYD 113

-20.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 CHF 140

$147 KYD 121

15.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 CHF 1,052

$2,943 KYD 2,413

-56.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 CHF 851

$2,491 KYD 2,042

-58.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,290 CHF 1,886

$5,699 KYD 4,674

-59.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 CHF 1,742

$4,661 KYD 3,822

-54.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,627 KYD 7,074

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K CHF 9,759

$2,246 KYD 1,842

427.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,801 CHF 5,601

$7,354 KYD 6,030

-7.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.31

-71.13%

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

Last update for Aarau: October 10, 2026

Last update for George Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aarau

$1K 37%

George Town

$2.5K 50.5% 141% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Aarau

$588 21%

George Town

$721 14.6% 22.7% $133

Eating Out

Aarau

$439 15.7%

George Town

$457 9.3% 4.1% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aarau

$207 7.4%

George Town

$689 14% 234% $482

Clothing & Footwear

Aarau

$197 7.1%

George Town

$201 4.1% 1.8% $3.5

Getting Around

Aarau

$190 6.8%

George Town

$127 2.6% 32.9% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Aarau

$141 5%

George Town

$250 5.1% 77.8% $110

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,277 in Aarau versus $2,943 in George Town. 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 8% higher in George Town, 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 $106 in Aarau versus $115 in George Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $588 vs $721 – making Aarau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Aarau

🇰🇾 George Town

🕒 Local time

00:36 12:36 AM

17:36 5:36 PM

7 h behind Aarau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,191

28,089 Capital

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Cayman Islands Dollar KYD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 KYD = 1.22 USD

1 KYD = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KYD, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Cayman Islands Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.82 KYD (1 KYD = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.922 KYD (1 KYD = 1.08 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Aarau George Town 8,400 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Aarau
George Town

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 George Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

George Town costs about 77% more than Aarau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,191 per month in Aarau and $7,404 in George Town. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 83% less in Aarau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $3,152 per month in Aarau and $1,840 in George Town. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,794 in Aarau and $4,936 in George Town. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Aarau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

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