Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Altstätten and Geneva

For one person, living is cheaper in Altstätten: $3,362 a month against $4,051 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Altstätten
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Altstätten Living Index
197

Cost of Living Index in Geneva
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Geneva Living Index

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Altstätten

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,362

/mo nomad

Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,051

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Altstätten 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 Altstätten and in Geneva actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,362 per month in Altstätten vs $4,051 in Geneva, rent included.

Altstätten $3,362
Geneva $4,051

A couple spends around $5,134 per month in Altstätten vs $6,137 in Geneva, rent included.

Altstätten $5,134
Geneva $6,137

A family of three spends $6,905 per month in Altstätten vs $8,222 in Geneva, rent included.

Altstätten $6,905
Geneva $8,222

Altstätten is about 17% cheaper than Geneva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Altstätten and Geneva sit above the global median – Altstätten by 149%, Geneva by 200%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.51 CHF 24.30

$30.11 CHF 24.80

-1.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 CHF 97.2

$132 CHF 108

-10.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.80 CHF 14.66

$18.29 CHF 15.06

-2.68%

Cappuccino

$5.94 CHF 4.89

$6.12 CHF 5.04

-2.94%

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

$5.13 CHF 4.22

$4.69 CHF 3.86

9.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 CHF 4.01

$4.25 CHF 3.50

14.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.25 CHF 7.62

$9.69 CHF 7.98

-4.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 CHF 6.03

$9.65 CHF 7.95

-24.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.80

$2.25 CHF 1.85

-2.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 CHF 2.93

$3.36 CHF 2.77

5.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 3.03

$3.40 CHF 2.80

8.24%

Eggs

$7.71 CHF 6.35

$7.86 CHF 6.47

-1.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.63 CHF 21.11

$24.91 CHF 20.52

2.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.49 CHF 23.47

$29.00 CHF 23.88

-1.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.80 CHF 33.60

$41.83 CHF 34.45

-2.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 CHF 2.96

$3.56 CHF 2.93

1.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 CHF 1.67

$1.64 CHF 1.35

23.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 CHF 2.21

$2.69 CHF 2.21

-0.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 CHF 3.91

$4.76 CHF 3.92

-0.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 CHF 1.52

$1.62 CHF 1.34

13.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.73

$2.15 CHF 1.77

-2.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$2.21 CHF 1.82

0.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CHF 1.07

$1.59 CHF 1.31

-18.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 CHF 8.83

$10.98 CHF 9.05

-2.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 CHF 10.63

$11.85 CHF 9.76

8.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 CHF 2.32

$3.08 CHF 2.54

-8.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CHF 2.56

$3.31 CHF 2.73

-6.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.63 CHF 3.81

$3.70 CHF 3.04

25.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 CHF 82.7

$90.4 CHF 74.5

10.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 CHF 6.15

$7.49 CHF 6.17

-0.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.66 CHF 3.84

$3.94 CHF 3.25

18.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.3 CHF 61.2

$62.5 CHF 51.5

18.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.84

$2.30 CHF 1.89

-2.61%

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

$40.5K CHF 33.4K

$37.9K CHF 31.2K

6.82%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

$38.2K CHF 31.5K

3.63%

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

$277 CHF 228

$281 CHF 231

-1.38%

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

$32.44 CHF 26.72

$36.24 CHF 29.85

-10.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 CHF 45.95

$57.8 CHF 47.62

-3.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.5 CHF 75.4

$75.9 CHF 62.5

20.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.93 CHF 37.01

$44.57 CHF 36.71

0.81%

Cinema Ticket

$22.65 CHF 18.66

$23.65 CHF 19.48

-4.23%

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

$2,646 CHF 2,179

$2,349 CHF 1,935

12.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.1K CHF 28.1K

$35.0K CHF 28.8K

-2.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$143 CHF 118

$137 CHF 113

4.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 CHF 47.30

$79.4 CHF 65.4

-27.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 123

$163 CHF 134

-8.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 152

-0.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 CHF 1,374

$2,816 CHF 2,320

-40.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 CHF 1,168

$2,103 CHF 1,732

-32.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,868 CHF 2,362

$4,789 CHF 3,945

-40.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,429 CHF 2,000

$3,670 CHF 3,023

-33.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

$22.3K CHF 18.4K

-29.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 10.0K

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

-22.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,268 CHF 5,986

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

1.98

4.55%

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

Last update for Altstätten: October 12, 2026

Last update for Geneva: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Altstätten

$1.4K 42.2%

Geneva

$2.1K 51.9% 48.2% $684

Groceries & Markets

Altstätten

$590 17.5%

Geneva

$591 14.6% 0.3% $1.6

Eating Out

Altstätten

$462 13.7%

Geneva

$473 11.7% 2.4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Altstätten

$365 10.9%

Geneva

$375 9.3% 2.7% $9.7

Clothing & Footwear

Altstätten

$241 7.2%

Geneva

$254 6.3% 5.5% $13

Getting Around

Altstätten

$150 4.5%

Geneva

$132 3.3% 11.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Altstätten

$137 4.1%

Geneva

$123 3% 10% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,668 in Altstätten versus $2,816 in Geneva. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in Altstätten versus $132 in Geneva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $590 vs $591 – making Altstätten the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Altstätten

🇨🇭 Geneva

🕒 Local time

23:52 11:52 PM

Same time as Altstätten

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,145

191,557

💱 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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Altstätten Geneva 290 km

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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

Altstätten vs Geneva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Geneva is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,043 per month in Altstätten and $6,077 in Geneva. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Altstätten, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,362 in Altstätten and $4,051 in Geneva. That's a gap of about 21%.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Altstätten. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,362 in Altstätten and $4,051 in Geneva. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Altstätten – 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 Altstätten. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Geneva makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.