Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geneva and Biel

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.

198

Cost of Living Index in Geneva
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Geneva Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Biel
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Biel Living Index

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Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,079

/mo nomad

Biel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,841

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Geneva and in Biel

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 Biel actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Geneva $4,079
Biel $2,841

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

Geneva $6,308
Biel $4,464

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

Geneva $8,538
Biel $6,086

Geneva costs about 44% more than Biel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.31 CHF 25.10

$29.78 CHF 24.65

1.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$129 CHF 107

$110 CHF 90.9

17.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.47 CHF 16.12

$18.20 CHF 15.07

6.98%

Cappuccino

$6.40 CHF 5.29

$6.18 CHF 5.12

3.56%

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

$4.66 CHF 3.86

$5.19 CHF 4.30

-10.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 CHF 3.42

$4.34 CHF 3.59

-4.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.82 CHF 8.13

$7.97 CHF 6.60

23.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.87 CHF 8.17

$4.80 CHF 3.97

105.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 CHF 1.94

$2.19 CHF 1.82

7.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 CHF 2.70

$4.04 CHF 3.34

-19.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 CHF 2.80

$3.17 CHF 2.63

6.94%

Eggs

$8.18 CHF 6.77

$7.29 CHF 6.04

12.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.05 CHF 20.74

$22.06 CHF 18.26

13.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.22 CHF 24.19

$27.61 CHF 22.86

5.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.51 CHF 35.20

$39.54 CHF 32.74

7.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 CHF 2.93

$3.19 CHF 2.64

10.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 CHF 1.35

$2.14 CHF 1.77

-23.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 CHF 2.36

$2.49 CHF 2.06

14.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 CHF 4.06

$3.18 CHF 2.64

54.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 CHF 1.36

$1.49 CHF 1.23

10.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 CHF 1.90

$1.78 CHF 1.48

28.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 CHF 1.81

$2.04 CHF 1.69

7.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.38

$1.06 CHF 0.88

56.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.97 CHF 9.08

$11.07 CHF 9.16

-0.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 CHF 10.06

$15.28 CHF 12.65

-20.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 CHF 2.66

$0.94 CHF 0.77

241.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 CHF 2.73

$1.77 CHF 1.47

86.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.55 CHF 2.94

$4.80 CHF 3.97

-26.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.8 CHF 71.0

$94.7 CHF 78.4

-9.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 CHF 6.30

$7.91 CHF 6.55

-3.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.76 CHF 3.11

$4.65 CHF 3.85

-19.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.2 CHF 53.1

$85.5 CHF 70.8

-24.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 CHF 1.95

$2.21 CHF 1.83

6.33%

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

$39.5K CHF 32.7K

$39.7K CHF 32.8K

-0.33%

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

$38.8K CHF 32.2K

$34.3K CHF 28.4K

13.14%

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

$280 CHF 232

$134 CHF 111

108.09%

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

$37.96 CHF 31.43

$35.35 CHF 29.27

7.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 CHF 47.65

$51.5 CHF 42.65

11.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.0 CHF 63.7

$75.5 CHF 62.5

1.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.34 CHF 35.88

Cinema Ticket

$23.96 CHF 19.84

$22.03 CHF 18.24

8.76%

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

$2,484 CHF 2,057

$2,676 CHF 2,215

-7.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.2K CHF 29.1K

$36.5K CHF 30.3K

-3.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 110

$107 CHF 88.3

24.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.1 CHF 65.5

$40.85 CHF 33.82

93.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$169 CHF 140

$138 CHF 114

22.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 CHF 156

$220 CHF 182

-14.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 CHF 2,339

$1,231 CHF 1,019

129.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,115 CHF 1,751

$1,124 CHF 930

88.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,088 CHF 4,213

$2,248 CHF 1,861

126.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,963 CHF 3,281

$2,007 CHF 1,662

97.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$22.5K CHF 18.6K

$9,720 CHF 8,047

131.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 13.5K

$7,717 CHF 6,389

111.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,271 CHF 6,020

$5,640 CHF 4,669

28.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.98

1.68

17.86%

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

Last update for Geneva: October 25, 2026

Last update for Biel: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Geneva

$2.1K 51.9%

Biel

$1.1K 39.6% 46.9% $991

Groceries & Markets

Geneva

$600 14.7%

Biel

$549 19.3% 8.4% $50

Eating Out

Geneva

$482 11.8%

Biel

$455 16% 5.6% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Geneva

$375 9.2%

Biel

$221 7.8% 41% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Geneva

$256 6.3%

Biel

$228 8% 11.2% $29

Getting Around

Geneva

$126 3.1%

Biel

$145 5.1% 14.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Geneva

$125 3.1%

Biel

$120 4.2% 4.2% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,825 in Geneva versus $1,231 in Biel. 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 $129 in Geneva versus $110 in Biel. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $600 vs $549 – making Biel the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Geneva

🇨🇭 Biel

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

Same time as Geneva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

191,557

56,378

💱 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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Geneva Biel 130 km

From you

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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

Geneva vs Biel: 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 $6,118 per month in Geneva and $4,262 in Biel. 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 $2,484 per month in Geneva and $2,676 in Biel. 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 $4,079 in Geneva and $2,841 in Biel. 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.