Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Biel and Geneva

For one person, living is cheaper in Biel: $2,841 a month against $4,079 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Biel
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Biel Living Index
198

Cost of Living Index in Geneva
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Geneva Living Index

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Biel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,841

/mo nomad

Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,079

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,841 per month in Biel vs $4,079 in Geneva, rent included.

Biel $2,841
Geneva $4,079

A couple spends around $4,464 per month in Biel vs $6,308 in Geneva, rent included.

Biel $4,464
Geneva $6,308

A family of three spends $6,086 per month in Biel vs $8,538 in Geneva, rent included.

Biel $6,086
Geneva $8,538

Biel is about 30% cheaper than Geneva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Biel and Geneva sit above the global median – Biel by 109%, Geneva by 200%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.78 CHF 24.65

$30.31 CHF 25.10

-1.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 CHF 90.9

$129 CHF 107

-15.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.20 CHF 15.07

$19.47 CHF 16.12

-6.52%

Cappuccino

$6.18 CHF 5.12

$6.40 CHF 5.29

-3.44%

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

$5.19 CHF 4.30

$4.66 CHF 3.86

11.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 CHF 3.59

$4.13 CHF 3.42

5.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 CHF 6.60

$9.82 CHF 8.13

-18.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 CHF 3.97

$9.87 CHF 8.17

-51.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.82

$2.35 CHF 1.94

-6.81%

White Bread (500g)

$4.04 CHF 3.34

$3.26 CHF 2.70

23.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.63

$3.39 CHF 2.80

-6.49%

Eggs

$7.29 CHF 6.04

$8.18 CHF 6.77

-10.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.06 CHF 18.26

$25.05 CHF 20.74

-11.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.61 CHF 22.86

$29.22 CHF 24.19

-5.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.54 CHF 32.74

$42.51 CHF 35.20

-6.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 CHF 2.64

$3.53 CHF 2.93

-9.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.77

$1.63 CHF 1.35

31.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.06

$2.85 CHF 2.36

-12.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 CHF 2.64

$4.90 CHF 4.06

-35.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 CHF 1.23

$1.64 CHF 1.36

-9.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.48

$2.29 CHF 1.90

-22.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 CHF 1.69

$2.19 CHF 1.81

-6.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 CHF 0.88

$1.66 CHF 1.38

-36.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.07 CHF 9.16

$10.97 CHF 9.08

0.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 CHF 12.65

$12.16 CHF 10.06

25.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 CHF 0.77

$3.21 CHF 2.66

-70.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 CHF 1.47

$3.30 CHF 2.73

-46.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.80 CHF 3.97

$3.55 CHF 2.94

35.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.7 CHF 78.4

$85.8 CHF 71.0

10.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.91 CHF 6.55

$7.61 CHF 6.30

3.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.65 CHF 3.85

$3.76 CHF 3.11

23.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.5 CHF 70.8

$64.2 CHF 53.1

33.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.83

$2.35 CHF 1.95

-5.96%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.8K

$39.5K CHF 32.7K

0.33%

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

$34.3K CHF 28.4K

$38.8K CHF 32.2K

-11.61%

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

$134 CHF 111

$280 CHF 232

-51.94%

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

$35.35 CHF 29.27

$37.96 CHF 31.43

-6.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 CHF 42.65

$57.6 CHF 47.65

-10.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.5 CHF 62.5

$77.0 CHF 63.7

-1.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.34 CHF 35.88

Cinema Ticket

$22.03 CHF 18.24

$23.96 CHF 19.84

-8.06%

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

$2,676 CHF 2,215

$2,484 CHF 2,057

7.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.5K CHF 30.3K

$35.2K CHF 29.1K

3.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CHF 88.3

$133 CHF 110

-19.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.85 CHF 33.82

$79.1 CHF 65.5

-48.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 CHF 114

$169 CHF 140

-18.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$220 CHF 182

$188 CHF 156

16.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,231 CHF 1,019

$2,825 CHF 2,339

-56.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 CHF 930

$2,115 CHF 1,751

-46.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,248 CHF 1,861

$5,088 CHF 4,213

-55.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,007 CHF 1,662

$3,963 CHF 3,281

-49.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,720 CHF 8,047

$22.5K CHF 18.6K

-56.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,717 CHF 6,389

$16.3K CHF 13.5K

-52.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,640 CHF 4,669

$7,271 CHF 6,020

-22.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.68

1.98

-15.15%

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

Last update for Biel: October 25, 2026

Last update for Geneva: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Biel

$1.1K 39.6%

Geneva

$2.1K 51.9% 88.2% $991

Groceries & Markets

Biel

$549 19.3%

Geneva

$600 14.7% 9.2% $50

Eating Out

Biel

$455 16%

Geneva

$482 11.8% 6% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Biel

$228 8%

Geneva

$256 6.3% 12.6% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Biel

$221 7.8%

Geneva

$375 9.2% 69.6% $154

Getting Around

Biel

$145 5.1%

Geneva

$126 3.1% 12.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Biel

$120 4.2%

Geneva

$125 3.1% 4.4% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,231 in Biel 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 29% 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 $110 in Biel versus $129 in Geneva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $549 vs $600 – making Biel the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Biel

🇨🇭 Geneva

🕒 Local time

04:08 4:08 AM

Same time as Biel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,378

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

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Between locations

Biel Geneva 130 km

From you

Biel
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

Biel vs Geneva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Geneva is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,262 per month in Biel 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 Biel, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,231 there versus $2,825 in Geneva.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Geneva. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,676 per month in Biel and $2,484 in Geneva. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,841 in Biel 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 $2,841 in Biel 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 Biel. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Geneva makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.