Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fribourg and Geneva

For one person, living is cheaper in Fribourg: $3,310 a month against $4,051 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Fribourg
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Fribourg Living Index
197

Cost of Living Index in Geneva
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Geneva Living Index

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Fribourg

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,310

/mo nomad

Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,051

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,310 per month in Fribourg vs $4,051 in Geneva, rent included.

Fribourg $3,310
Geneva $4,051

A couple spends around $4,866 per month in Fribourg vs $6,137 in Geneva, rent included.

Fribourg $4,866
Geneva $6,137

A family of three spends $6,423 per month in Fribourg vs $8,222 in Geneva, rent included.

Fribourg $6,423
Geneva $8,222

Fribourg is about 18% cheaper than Geneva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Fribourg and Geneva sit above the global median – Fribourg by 145%, Geneva by 200%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.10 CHF 24.79

$30.11 CHF 24.80

-0.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 CHF 97.0

$132 CHF 108

-10.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.27 CHF 12.58

$18.29 CHF 15.06

-16.51%

Cappuccino

$6.14 CHF 5.06

$6.12 CHF 5.04

0.33%

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

$4.89 CHF 4.03

$4.69 CHF 3.86

4.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 CHF 4.22

$4.25 CHF 3.50

20.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 CHF 5.91

$9.69 CHF 7.98

-25.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.45 CHF 5.31

$9.65 CHF 7.95

-33.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.76

$2.25 CHF 1.85

-4.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 CHF 2.59

$3.36 CHF 2.77

-6.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 CHF 2.89

$3.40 CHF 2.80

3.24%

Eggs

$7.23 CHF 5.96

$7.86 CHF 6.47

-8.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.79 CHF 19.60

$24.91 CHF 20.52

-4.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.77 CHF 20.40

$29.00 CHF 23.88

-14.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.43 CHF 30.01

$41.83 CHF 34.45

-12.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CHF 2.90

$3.56 CHF 2.93

-1.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 CHF 1.39

$1.64 CHF 1.35

2.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 CHF 2.03

$2.69 CHF 2.21

-8.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 CHF 3.67

$4.76 CHF 3.92

-6.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.47

$1.62 CHF 1.34

9.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.70

$2.15 CHF 1.77

-3.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 CHF 1.85

$2.21 CHF 1.82

1.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 CHF 1.01

$1.59 CHF 1.31

-22.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 CHF 9.04

$10.98 CHF 9.05

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 CHF 8.40

$11.85 CHF 9.76

-13.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 CHF 2.84

$3.08 CHF 2.54

12.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 CHF 1.92

$3.31 CHF 2.73

-29.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.57 CHF 2.94

$3.70 CHF 3.04

-3.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.7 CHF 70.6

$90.4 CHF 74.5

-5.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 CHF 8.10

$7.49 CHF 6.17

31.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.02 CHF 3.31

$3.94 CHF 3.25

2.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.4 CHF 59.7

$62.5 CHF 51.5

15.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$2.30 CHF 1.89

-1.74%

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

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

$37.9K CHF 31.2K

9.92%

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

$38.8K CHF 32.0K

$38.2K CHF 31.5K

1.65%

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

$336 CHF 277

$281 CHF 231

19.76%

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

$40.26 CHF 33.16

$36.24 CHF 29.85

11.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 CHF 46.31

$57.8 CHF 47.62

-2.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.8 CHF 48.39

$75.9 CHF 62.5

-22.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.82 CHF 24.56

$44.57 CHF 36.71

-33.09%

Cinema Ticket

$21.24 CHF 17.50

$23.65 CHF 19.48

-10.19%

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

$1,762 CHF 1,451

$2,349 CHF 1,935

-24.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.9K CHF 29.5K

$35.0K CHF 28.8K

2.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 CHF 83.0

$137 CHF 113

-26.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 CHF 46.97

$79.4 CHF 65.4

-28.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 131

$163 CHF 134

-2.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 CHF 156

$185 CHF 152

2.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 CHF 1,293

$2,816 CHF 2,320

-44.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 CHF 1,181

$2,103 CHF 1,732

-31.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,450 CHF 2,018

$4,789 CHF 3,945

-48.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,176 CHF 1,792

$3,670 CHF 3,023

-40.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.6K CHF 16.9K

$22.3K CHF 18.4K

-7.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.7K CHF 11.3K

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

-12.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,808 CHF 5,607

$7,268 CHF 5,986

-6.34%

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 Fribourg: 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

Fribourg

$1.4K 43.3%

Geneva

$2.1K 51.9% 46.7% $669

Groceries & Markets

Fribourg

$536 16.2%

Geneva

$591 14.6% 10.4% $56

Eating Out

Fribourg

$449 13.6%

Geneva

$473 11.7% 5.2% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fribourg

$433 13.1%

Geneva

$375 9.3% 13.4% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Fribourg

$228 6.9%

Geneva

$254 6.3% 11.6% $26

Getting Around

Fribourg

$130 3.9%

Geneva

$132 3.3% 1.9% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Fribourg

$101 3.1%

Geneva

$123 3% 21.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,570 in Fribourg 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.

Salaries run about 7% 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 $118 in Fribourg versus $132 in Geneva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $536 vs $591 – making Fribourg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Fribourg

🇨🇭 Geneva

🕒 Local time

11:29 11:29 AM

Same time as Fribourg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,485

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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Fribourg Geneva 100 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

Fribourg vs Geneva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Geneva costs about 22% more than Fribourg, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,965 per month in Fribourg 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 Fribourg, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,762 per month in Fribourg and $2,349 in Geneva. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Geneva, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,310 in Fribourg and $4,051 in Geneva. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fribourg costs $3,310 versus $4,051 in Geneva. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Fribourg. 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.