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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $4,080 per month in Geneva vs $3,371 in Glarus, rent included.

A couple spends around $6,404 per month in Geneva vs $5,198 in Glarus, rent included.

A family of three spends $8,728 per month in Geneva vs $7,024 in Glarus, rent included.

Geneva costs about 21% more than Glarus, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Geneva and Glarus sit above the global median – Geneva by 205%, Glarus by 152%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$36.40 CHF 29.49

$30.97 CHF 25.09

17.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$150 CHF 121

$141 CHF 114

6.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.14 CHF 14.69

$15.91 CHF 12.89

14.02%

Cappuccino

$5.76 CHF 4.67

$5.79 CHF 4.69

-0.52%

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

$5.48 CHF 4.44

$5.42 CHF 4.39

1.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 CHF 3.87

$4.25 CHF 3.45

12.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.05 CHF 8.14

$7.35 CHF 5.95

36.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.76 CHF 7.10

$7.33 CHF 5.94

19.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.77

$1.95 CHF 1.58

12.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.91 CHF 3.16

$2.85 CHF 2.30

37.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 CHF 3.60

$2.21 CHF 1.79

101.36%

Eggs

$7.55 CHF 6.12

$7.98 CHF 6.46

-5.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.83 CHF 21.73

$30.67 CHF 24.84

-12.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.39 CHF 27.04

$35.89 CHF 29.07

-6.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$52.3 CHF 42.32

$51.3 CHF 41.59

1.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 CHF 2.86

$3.79 CHF 3.07

-6.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 CHF 2.02

$2.31 CHF 1.87

8.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 CHF 2.51

$2.87 CHF 2.33

7.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.36 CHF 5.15

$6.16 CHF 4.99

3.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CHF 2.14

$2.38 CHF 1.93

10.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.87

$2.47 CHF 2.00

-6.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CHF 2.08

$2.58 CHF 2.09

-0.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 CHF 1.07

$1.22 CHF 0.98

9.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.89 CHF 8.82

$11.02 CHF 8.93

-1.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 CHF 9.78

$11.25 CHF 9.11

7.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 CHF 2.63

$2.42 CHF 1.96

34.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 CHF 3.04

$3.48 CHF 2.82

7.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.73 CHF 3.02

$6.01 CHF 4.87

-37.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.7 CHF 69.4

$112 CHF 90.4

-23.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.40 CHF 5.99

$7.92 CHF 6.42

-6.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.54 CHF 2.87

$4.13 CHF 3.34

-14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.0 CHF 52.6

$87.1 CHF 70.6

-25.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.77

$2.14 CHF 1.73

2.34%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.2K

$35.3K CHF 28.6K

12.68%

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

$50.2K CHF 40.7K

$38.7K CHF 31.4K

29.60%

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

$261 CHF 211

$224 CHF 182

16.29%

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

$48.55 CHF 39.32

$74.4 CHF 60.2

-34.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 CHF 52.1

$48.66 CHF 39.41

32.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 CHF 64.8

$91.4 CHF 74.0

-12.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.29 CHF 30.21

$43.27 CHF 35.05

-13.82%

Cinema Ticket

$24.25 CHF 19.64

$20.61 CHF 16.69

17.66%

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

$3,487 CHF 2,824

$2,895 CHF 2,345

20.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.0K

$42.3K CHF 34.3K

-21.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$140 CHF 113

$139 CHF 113

0.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.9 CHF 65.5

$75.7 CHF 61.3

6.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$165 CHF 134

$134 CHF 108

23.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$215 CHF 174

$159 CHF 129

35.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,358 CHF 1,910

$1,668 CHF 1,351

41.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 CHF 1,659

$1,319 CHF 1,069

55.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,672 CHF 3,785

$2,892 CHF 2,343

61.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,893 CHF 3,153

$2,374 CHF 1,923

64.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$22.1K CHF 17.9K

$14.1K CHF 11.4K

56.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 13.2K

$10.7K CHF 8,703

51.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,277 CHF 5,894

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Glarus: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,358 in Geneva versus $1,668 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 $141 in Glarus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $676 vs $668 – 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 21%, 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 $6,120 per month in Geneva and $5,056 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 $141 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 $4,080 in Geneva and $3,371 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.