Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geneva and Mendrisio

For one person, living is cheaper in Mendrisio: $3,034 a month against $4,051 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

197

Cost of Living Index in Geneva
Learn more

Geneva Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Mendrisio
Learn more

Mendrisio Living Index

Jump to prices

Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,051

/mo nomad

Mendrisio

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,034

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Geneva and in Mendrisio

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

A single person spends $4,051 per month in Geneva vs $3,034 in Mendrisio, rent included.

Geneva $4,051
Mendrisio $3,034

A couple spends around $6,137 per month in Geneva vs $3,758 in Mendrisio, rent included.

Geneva $6,137
Mendrisio $3,758

A family of three spends $8,222 per month in Geneva vs $4,483 in Mendrisio, rent included.

Geneva $8,222
Mendrisio $4,483

Geneva costs about 34% more than Mendrisio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Geneva and Mendrisio sit above the global median – Geneva by 200%, Mendrisio by 125%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.11 CHF 24.80

$34.26 CHF 28.21

-12.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$132 CHF 108

$177 CHF 146

-25.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.29 CHF 15.06

$18.99 CHF 15.64

-3.69%

Cappuccino

$6.12 CHF 5.04

$4.80 CHF 3.96

27.50%

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

$4.69 CHF 3.86

$5.41 CHF 4.46

-13.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 CHF 3.50

$4.37 CHF 3.60

-2.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.69 CHF 7.98

$8.36 CHF 6.88

15.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.65 CHF 7.95

$7.03 CHF 5.79

37.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.85

$2.18 CHF 1.80

3.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 CHF 2.77

$3.70 CHF 3.04

-9.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 CHF 2.80

$4.15 CHF 3.42

-18.07%

Eggs

$7.86 CHF 6.47

$7.07 CHF 5.83

11.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.91 CHF 20.52

$25.44 CHF 20.95

-2.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.00 CHF 23.88

$28.11 CHF 23.15

3.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.83 CHF 34.45

$39.04 CHF 32.15

7.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 CHF 2.93

$3.15 CHF 2.60

13.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 CHF 1.35

$1.70 CHF 1.40

-3.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 CHF 2.21

$2.56 CHF 2.11

5.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 CHF 3.92

$6.49 CHF 5.35

-26.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 CHF 1.34

$1.84 CHF 1.52

-11.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.77

$2.13 CHF 1.76

0.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 CHF 1.82

$2.34 CHF 1.93

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CHF 1.31

$1.16 CHF 0.96

37.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 CHF 9.05

$10.74 CHF 8.84

2.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.85 CHF 9.76

$14.64 CHF 12.06

-19.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 CHF 2.54

$3.36 CHF 2.77

-8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 CHF 2.73

$4.08 CHF 3.36

-18.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.70 CHF 3.04

$3.03 CHF 2.50

22.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.4 CHF 74.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.49 CHF 6.17

$7.07 CHF 5.82

5.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.94 CHF 3.25

$5.38 CHF 4.43

-26.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.5 CHF 51.5

$78.3 CHF 64.5

-20.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.89

$2.20 CHF 1.81

4.55%

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

$37.9K CHF 31.2K

$34.6K CHF 28.5K

9.57%

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

$38.2K CHF 31.5K

$38.6K CHF 31.8K

-1.01%

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

$281 CHF 231

$304 CHF 250

-7.54%

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

$36.24 CHF 29.85

$25.15 CHF 20.71

44.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 CHF 47.62

$48.38 CHF 39.85

19.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 CHF 62.5

$73.1 CHF 60.2

3.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.57 CHF 36.71

Cinema Ticket

$23.65 CHF 19.48

$21.74 CHF 17.91

8.79%

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

$2,349 CHF 1,935

$3,187 CHF 2,625

-26.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.0K CHF 28.8K

$38.5K CHF 31.7K

-9.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 113

$107 CHF 87.8

28.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.4 CHF 65.4

$47.52 CHF 39.14

67.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$163 CHF 134

$164 CHF 135

-0.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 152

$166 CHF 137

11.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,816 CHF 2,320

$1,381 CHF 1,137

103.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 CHF 1,732

$1,199 CHF 987

75.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,789 CHF 3,945

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 CHF 3,023

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$22.3K CHF 18.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,268 CHF 5,986

$6,944 CHF 5,719

4.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.98

2.37

-16.46%

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

Last update for Geneva: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mendrisio: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Geneva

$2.1K 51.9%

Mendrisio

$1.2K 39.5% 43% $904

Groceries & Markets

Geneva

$591 14.6%

Mendrisio

$594 19.6% 0.4% $2.5

Eating Out

Geneva

$473 11.7%

Mendrisio

$484 15.9% 2.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Geneva

$375 9.3%

Mendrisio

$377 12.4% 0.6% $2.4

Clothing & Footwear

Geneva

$254 6.3%

Mendrisio

$218 7.2% 14.1% $36

Getting Around

Geneva

$132 3.3%

Mendrisio

$46 * 1.5% 65.2% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Geneva

$123 3%

Mendrisio

$117 3.8% 5.4% $6.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,816 in Geneva versus $1,381 in Mendrisio. 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 5% 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 $132 in Geneva versus $177 in Mendrisio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $591 vs $594 – making Geneva the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Geneva

🇨🇭 Mendrisio

🕒 Local time

07:01 7:01 AM

Same time as Geneva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

191,557

15,562

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Geneva Mendrisio 220 km

From you

Geneva
Mendrisio

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 Mendrisio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Geneva is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,077 per month in Geneva and $4,551 in Mendrisio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,051 in Geneva and $3,034 in Mendrisio. That's a gap of about 34%.

Kindergarten costs $2,349 per month in Geneva and $3,187 in Mendrisio. 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 $4,051 in Geneva and $3,034 in Mendrisio. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Mendrisio – 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 Mendrisio. 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.