Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buchs and Geneva

For one person, living is cheaper in Buchs: $3,009 a month against $4,062 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Buchs
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Buchs Living Index
196

Cost of Living Index in Geneva
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Geneva Living Index

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Buchs

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,009

/mo nomad

Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,062

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,009 in Buchs versus $4,062 in Geneva.

Buchs $3,009
Geneva $4,062

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,535 in Buchs versus $6,218 in Geneva.

Buchs $4,535
Geneva $6,218

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,062 in Buchs versus $8,374 in Geneva.

Buchs $6,062
Geneva $8,374

Living in Buchs costs roughly 26% less than in Geneva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buchs 122% above, Geneva 200% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.43 CHF 19.30

$29.88 CHF 24.61

-21.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 CHF 69.4

$128 CHF 106

-34.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.36 CHF 12.65

$19.24 CHF 15.85

-20.17%

Cappuccino

$4.71 CHF 3.88

$6.35 CHF 5.23

-25.83%

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

$3.77 CHF 3.10

$4.65 CHF 3.83

-18.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CHF 2.63

$3.99 CHF 3.29

-19.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 CHF 5.04

$9.54 CHF 7.85

-35.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.39 CHF 4.44

$9.80 CHF 8.07

-45.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 CHF 1.66

$2.31 CHF 1.91

-12.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 CHF 3.24

$3.41 CHF 2.81

15.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 CHF 3.82

$3.25 CHF 2.68

42.77%

Eggs

$7.32 CHF 6.03

$8.18 CHF 6.74

-10.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$32.21 CHF 26.53

$25.34 CHF 20.87

27.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.51 CHF 15.24

$28.62 CHF 23.57

-35.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.47 CHF 26.74

$42.70 CHF 35.17

-23.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 CHF 2.91

$3.47 CHF 2.86

1.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.76

$1.73 CHF 1.42

23.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 CHF 2.59

$2.73 CHF 2.25

15.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.70 CHF 5.52

$4.77 CHF 3.93

40.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.46

$1.57 CHF 1.29

13.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 CHF 2.10

$2.28 CHF 1.88

11.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 CHF 2.01

$2.24 CHF 1.85

8.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CHF 1.00

$1.61 CHF 1.32

-24.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.84 CHF 8.92

$10.81 CHF 8.90

0.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 CHF 10.46

$12.28 CHF 10.12

3.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 CHF 2.70

$3.24 CHF 2.67

1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 CHF 3.22

$3.45 CHF 2.84

13.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.17 CHF 4.25

$3.58 CHF 2.95

44.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 CHF 72.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 CHF 4.42

$7.46 CHF 6.15

-28.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.46 CHF 2.85

$3.76 CHF 3.10

-7.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.2 CHF 50.4

$63.6 CHF 52.4

-3.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.83

$2.39 CHF 1.97

-6.69%

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

$42.5K CHF 35.0K

$39.7K CHF 32.7K

7.27%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

$40.1K CHF 33.0K

-1.35%

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

$184 CHF 152

$289 CHF 238

-36.20%

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

$31.24 CHF 25.73

$38.37 CHF 31.60

-18.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.2 CHF 55.4

$57.3 CHF 47.18

17.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.2 CHF 61.1

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.73 CHF 35.19

Cinema Ticket

$15.20 CHF 12.52

$24.02 CHF 19.78

-36.72%

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

$611 CHF 503

$2,371 CHF 1,952

-74.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K CHF 17.0K

$36.0K CHF 29.7K

-42.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CHF 88.0

$135 CHF 111

-20.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.70 CHF 19.52

$79.7 CHF 65.7

-70.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 CHF 78.4

$168 CHF 138

-43.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 CHF 140

$191 CHF 157

-10.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,828 CHF 1,505

$2,779 CHF 2,289

-34.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,561 CHF 1,285

$2,096 CHF 1,726

-25.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,690 CHF 2,216

$4,804 CHF 3,957

-44.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,746 CHF 2,261

$3,809 CHF 3,137

-27.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$21.9K CHF 18.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,480 CHF 6,984

$7,087 CHF 5,837

19.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.93

1.98

-2.53%

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

Last update for Buchs: October 18, 2026

Last update for Geneva: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buchs

$1.6K 51.9%

Geneva

$2.1K 51.6% 34.3% $536

Groceries & Markets

Buchs

$555 18.4%

Geneva

$598 14.7% 7.8% $43

Eating Out

Buchs

$359 11.9%

Geneva

$475 11.7% 32.2% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buchs

$283 9.4%

Geneva

$385 9.5% 36% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Buchs

$178 5.9%

Geneva

$258 6.4% 44.9% $80

Getting Around

Buchs

$43 * 1.4%

Geneva

$129 3.2% 197% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Buchs

$30 * 1%

Geneva

$122 3% 302% $92

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 $1,828 in Buchs and $2,779 in Geneva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buchs pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $84.0 in Buchs vs $128 in Geneva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $555 vs $598 per month, with Buchs cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Buchs

🇨🇭 Geneva

🕒 Local time

09:36 9:36 AM

Same time as Buchs

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,187

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

On the map

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Between locations

Buchs Geneva 280 km

From you

Buchs
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

Buchs vs Geneva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buchs and Geneva differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($3,009 vs $4,062 including rent). Buchs is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Buchs, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,828 in Buchs versus $2,779 in Geneva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $611 in Buchs versus $2,371 in Geneva. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Buchs – a meal for two runs $84.0 versus $128 in Geneva. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Buchs 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, Buchs and Geneva 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 Buchs gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Geneva. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.