Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geneva and Airolo

For one person, living is cheaper in Airolo: $3,536 a month against $4,172 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Geneva outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

200

Cost of Living Index in Geneva
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Geneva Living Index
171

Cost of Living Index in Airolo
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Airolo Living Index

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Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,172

/mo nomad

Airolo

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,536

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Geneva and in Airolo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Geneva and in Airolo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,172 per month in Geneva vs $3,536 in Airolo, rent included.

Geneva $4,172
Airolo $3,536

A couple spends around $6,330 per month in Geneva vs $5,247 in Airolo, rent included.

Geneva $6,330
Airolo $5,247

A family of three spends $8,488 per month in Geneva vs $6,958 in Airolo, rent included.

Geneva $8,488
Airolo $6,958

Geneva costs about 18% more than Airolo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Geneva and Airolo sit above the global median – Geneva by 209%, Airolo by 162%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.38 CHF 24.85

$31.81 CHF 26.02

-4.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 CHF 98.8

$115 CHF 94.1

5.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.26 CHF 15.75

$20.32 CHF 16.62

-5.22%

Cappuccino

$6.46 CHF 5.29

$6.50 CHF 5.32

-0.62%

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

$4.86 CHF 3.98

$6.11 CHF 5.00

-20.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 CHF 3.41

$5.61 CHF 4.59

-25.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.95 CHF 8.13

$9.60 CHF 7.85

3.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.61 CHF 7.86

$6.59 CHF 5.39

45.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 CHF 1.94

$1.88 CHF 1.54

26.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 CHF 2.85

$3.91 CHF 3.20

-10.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 CHF 2.68

$4.29 CHF 3.51

-23.54%

Eggs

$7.91 CHF 6.47

$7.18 CHF 5.87

10.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.97 CHF 20.42

$24.80 CHF 20.28

0.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.79 CHF 23.55

$26.99 CHF 22.08

6.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.93 CHF 35.12

$38.28 CHF 31.31

12.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 CHF 2.84

$3.30 CHF 2.70

5.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 CHF 1.35

$2.14 CHF 1.75

-22.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 CHF 2.26

$2.57 CHF 2.10

7.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 CHF 3.98

$4.12 CHF 3.37

18.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 CHF 1.28

$2.09 CHF 1.71

-24.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 CHF 1.81

$2.17 CHF 1.77

2.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 CHF 1.85

$2.47 CHF 2.02

-8.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 CHF 1.39

$1.40 CHF 1.14

21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.90 CHF 8.92

$11.86 CHF 9.70

-8.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 CHF 9.85

$11.57 CHF 9.46

4.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 CHF 2.53

$3.08 CHF 2.52

0.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 CHF 2.71

$3.47 CHF 2.84

-4.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.59 CHF 2.93

$4.72 CHF 3.86

-23.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.7 CHF 69.3

$93.6 CHF 76.6

-9.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 CHF 6.27

$7.24 CHF 5.92

5.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.86 CHF 3.16

$5.28 CHF 4.32

-26.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.2 CHF 51.7

$81.2 CHF 66.4

-22.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 CHF 1.94

$2.59 CHF 2.12

-8.49%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.6K

$37.1K CHF 30.4K

7.35%

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

$39.2K CHF 32.0K

$45.4K CHF 37.1K

-13.77%

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

$288 CHF 235

$269 CHF 220

7.08%

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

$35.83 CHF 29.31

$31.34 CHF 25.64

14.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 CHF 47.92

$58.7 CHF 47.99

-0.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.6 CHF 64.3

$89.1 CHF 72.9

-11.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.26 CHF 35.38

$45.65 CHF 37.33

-5.24%

Cinema Ticket

$24.70 CHF 20.21

$26.14 CHF 21.38

-5.51%

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

$2,568 CHF 2,100

$2,802 CHF 2,292

-8.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$38.9K CHF 31.8K

$37.5K CHF 30.7K

3.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$136 CHF 111

$143 CHF 117

-5.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.1 CHF 64.7

$65.6 CHF 53.7

20.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$165 CHF 135

$177 CHF 144

-6.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$187 CHF 153

$209 CHF 171

-10.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,921 CHF 2,389

$1,565 CHF 1,280

86.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,199 CHF 1,798

$1,550 CHF 1,268

41.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,223 CHF 4,272

$2,873 CHF 2,350

81.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,948 CHF 3,229

$2,414 CHF 1,974

63.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.1K CHF 18.9K

$13.8K CHF 11.3K

67.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.2K

$11.3K CHF 9,213

43.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,394 CHF 6,047

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.98

2.03

-2.46%

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

Last update for Geneva: November 2, 2026

Last update for Airolo: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Geneva

$2.2K 52.7%

Airolo

$1.5K 43.8% 29.5% $649

Groceries & Markets

Geneva

$598 14.4%

Airolo

$571 16.2% 4.6% $27

Eating Out

Geneva

$484 11.6%

Airolo

$502 14.2% 3.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Geneva

$382 9.2%

Airolo

$359 10.1% 6.1% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Geneva

$255 6.1%

Airolo

$267 7.6% 4.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Geneva

$128 3.1%

Airolo

$141 4% 10.4% $13

Getting Around

Geneva

$126 3%

Airolo

$146 4.1% 15.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,921 in Geneva versus $1,565 in Airolo. 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 $121 in Geneva versus $115 in Airolo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $598 vs $571 – making Airolo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Geneva

🇨🇭 Airolo

🕒 Local time

15:22 3:22 PM

Same time as Geneva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

191,557

1,500

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Geneva Airolo 190 km

From you

Geneva
Airolo

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

Geneva vs Airolo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Geneva costs about 18% more than Airolo, 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 $6,257 per month in Geneva and $5,304 in Airolo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Airolo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,565 there versus $2,921 in Geneva.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,172 in Geneva and $3,536 in Airolo. That makes Airolo about 15% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Geneva. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,172 in Geneva and $3,536 in Airolo. 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 $3,536 in Airolo to $4,172 in Geneva. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.