Cost of Living Comparison Between Geneva and Glarus Cost of Living Comparison Between Geneva and Glarus

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $4,060 per month in Geneva vs $3,279 in Glarus, rent included.

A couple spends around $6,383 per month in Geneva vs $5,259 in Glarus, rent included.

A family of three spends $8,707 per month in Geneva vs $7,238 in Glarus, rent included.

Geneva costs about 24% more than Glarus, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Geneva and Glarus sit above the global median – Geneva by 203%, Glarus by 145%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$37.68 CHF 29.71

$30.52 CHF 24.07

23.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$150 CHF 118

$140 CHF 111

6.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.64 CHF 14.69

$16.28 CHF 12.84

14.50%

Cappuccino

$5.97 CHF 4.71

$5.87 CHF 4.63

1.70%

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

$5.49 CHF 4.33

$5.16 CHF 4.07

6.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 CHF 3.88

$4.41 CHF 3.48

11.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.13 CHF 7.99

$7.35 CHF 5.79

37.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.54 CHF 6.73

$7.23 CHF 5.70

18.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.78

$2.00 CHF 1.58

13.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 CHF 3.06

$2.76 CHF 2.18

40.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 CHF 3.50

$2.21 CHF 1.74

100.90%

Eggs

$7.62 CHF 6.00

$7.98 CHF 6.29

-4.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.53 CHF 20.92

$30.90 CHF 24.36

-14.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.26 CHF 26.22

$35.70 CHF 28.14

-6.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$52.6 CHF 41.45

$50.4 CHF 39.71

4.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 CHF 2.75

$3.68 CHF 2.90

-5.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 1.99

$2.32 CHF 1.83

8.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 CHF 2.42

$2.87 CHF 2.26

6.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.26 CHF 4.93

$6.36 CHF 5.01

-1.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 CHF 2.09

$2.46 CHF 1.94

8.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 CHF 1.83

$2.41 CHF 1.90

-3.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CHF 2.03

$2.67 CHF 2.10

-3.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 CHF 1.07

$1.22 CHF 0.96

11.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.90 CHF 8.59

$11.14 CHF 8.78

-2.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.84 CHF 10.13

$13.81 CHF 10.89

-7.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 CHF 2.57

$2.40 CHF 1.89

35.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 CHF 2.87

$3.31 CHF 2.61

9.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.60 CHF 2.83

$6.01 CHF 4.74

-40.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.5 CHF 67.4

$110 CHF 86.8

-22.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.53 CHF 5.94

$8.28 CHF 6.52

-9.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.64 CHF 2.87

$4.29 CHF 3.38

-15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.6 CHF 51.7

$88.5 CHF 69.8

-25.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.76

$2.05 CHF 1.61

8.78%

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

$41.0K CHF 32.3K

$35.1K CHF 27.7K

16.79%

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

$48.7K CHF 38.4K

$39.3K CHF 31.0K

23.95%

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

$262 CHF 207

$225 CHF 177

16.58%

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

$47.82 CHF 37.70

$72.9 CHF 57.5

-34.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.3 CHF 49.87

$49.82 CHF 39.28

26.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.6 CHF 62.7

$92.6 CHF 73.0

-14.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.97 CHF 28.36

$43.93 CHF 34.64

-18.12%

Cinema Ticket

$24.48 CHF 19.30

$19.94 CHF 15.72

22.77%

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

$3,514 CHF 2,770

$2,938 CHF 2,317

19.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.7K CHF 25.8K

$43.2K CHF 34.1K

-24.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 CHF 109

$140 CHF 111

-1.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.7 CHF 64.4

$78.3 CHF 61.7

4.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$162 CHF 128

$134 CHF 106

21.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$214 CHF 169

$157 CHF 124

36.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,329 CHF 1,836

$1,631 CHF 1,286

42.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 CHF 1,615

$1,328 CHF 1,047

54.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,631 CHF 3,651

$2,844 CHF 2,242

62.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,922 CHF 3,092

$2,349 CHF 1,852

66.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.1K CHF 18.2K

$13.9K CHF 11.0K

66.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.4K CHF 12.9K

$11.4K CHF 9,002

43.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,858 CHF 6,195

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.46

2.5

-1.60%

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

Last update for Geneva: June 1, 2026

Last update for Glarus: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,329 in Geneva versus $1,631 in Glarus. 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 $150 in Geneva versus $140 in Glarus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $678 vs $670 – making Glarus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Glarus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Geneva is pricier by about 24%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,090 per month in Geneva and $4,919 in Glarus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Glarus, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Geneva, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $150 in Geneva and $140 in Glarus. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,060 in Geneva and $3,279 in Glarus. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Glarus – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Glarus. 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.