Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geneva and Montreux

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreux: $3,440 a month against $4,079 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 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
166

Cost of Living Index in Montreux
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Montreux Living Index

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Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,079

/mo nomad

Montreux

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,440

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Geneva and in Montreux

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

A single person spends $4,079 per month in Geneva vs $3,440 in Montreux, rent included.

Geneva $4,079
Montreux $3,440

A couple spends around $6,308 per month in Geneva vs $5,245 in Montreux, rent included.

Geneva $6,308
Montreux $5,245

A family of three spends $8,538 per month in Geneva vs $7,050 in Montreux, rent included.

Geneva $8,538
Montreux $7,050

Geneva costs about 19% more than Montreux, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Geneva and Montreux sit above the global median – Geneva by 200%, Montreux by 153%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.31 CHF 25.00

$30.54 CHF 25.19

-0.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$129 CHF 107

$125 CHF 103

3.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.47 CHF 16.06

$18.32 CHF 15.11

6.28%

Cappuccino

$6.40 CHF 5.28

$6.07 CHF 5.01

5.44%

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

$4.66 CHF 3.85

$4.61 CHF 3.80

1.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 CHF 3.41

$4.05 CHF 3.34

1.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.82 CHF 8.10

$9.70 CHF 8.00

1.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.87 CHF 8.14

$9.49 CHF 7.83

4.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 CHF 1.94

$2.23 CHF 1.84

5.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 CHF 2.69

$3.31 CHF 2.73

-1.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 CHF 2.79

$3.32 CHF 2.74

2.11%

Eggs

$8.18 CHF 6.74

$7.09 CHF 5.85

15.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.05 CHF 20.66

$24.79 CHF 20.45

1.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.22 CHF 24.11

$28.28 CHF 23.33

3.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.51 CHF 35.07

$39.88 CHF 32.90

6.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 CHF 2.92

$3.65 CHF 3.01

-3.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 CHF 1.35

$1.66 CHF 1.37

-1.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 CHF 2.35

$2.46 CHF 2.03

15.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 CHF 4.04

$4.60 CHF 3.80

6.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 CHF 1.35

$1.86 CHF 1.53

-11.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 CHF 1.89

$1.92 CHF 1.58

19.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 CHF 1.81

$1.97 CHF 1.63

11.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.37

$1.69 CHF 1.39

-1.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.97 CHF 9.05

$11.00 CHF 9.08

-0.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 CHF 10.03

$12.05 CHF 9.94

0.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 CHF 2.65

$2.73 CHF 2.25

17.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 CHF 2.72

$3.25 CHF 2.68

1.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.55 CHF 2.93

$4.21 CHF 3.47

-15.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.8 CHF 70.8

$104 CHF 85.4

-17.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 CHF 6.28

$7.47 CHF 6.16

1.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.76 CHF 3.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.2 CHF 52.9

$64.8 CHF 53.5

-0.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 CHF 1.94

$2.42 CHF 2.00

-2.89%

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

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

2.26%

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

$38.8K CHF 32.0K

$39.6K CHF 32.7K

-1.93%

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

$280 CHF 231

$288 CHF 238

-2.94%

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

$37.96 CHF 31.31

$37.64 CHF 31.05

0.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 CHF 47.47

$52.2 CHF 43.03

10.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.0 CHF 63.5

$89.6 CHF 73.9

-14.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.34 CHF 35.75

$45.58 CHF 37.60

-4.91%

Cinema Ticket

$23.96 CHF 19.77

$24.18 CHF 19.95

-0.91%

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

$2,484 CHF 2,049

$2,443 CHF 2,015

1.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.2K CHF 29.0K

$35.9K CHF 29.7K

-2.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 110

$135 CHF 111

-1.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.1 CHF 65.2

$78.7 CHF 64.9

0.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$169 CHF 139

$168 CHF 139

0.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 CHF 155

$184 CHF 152

2.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 CHF 2,331

$1,773 CHF 1,462

59.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,115 CHF 1,744

$1,473 CHF 1,215

43.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,088 CHF 4,197

$2,960 CHF 2,441

71.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,963 CHF 3,269

$2,500 CHF 2,062

58.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$22.5K CHF 18.5K

$16.4K CHF 13.5K

37.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 13.5K

$12.5K CHF 10.3K

31.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,271 CHF 5,998

$8,161 CHF 6,732

-10.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.98

1.95

1.54%

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

Last update for Geneva: October 25, 2026

Last update for Montreux: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Geneva

$2.1K 51.9%

Montreux

$1.5K 42.8% 30.4% $642

Groceries & Markets

Geneva

$600 14.7%

Montreux

$575 16.7% 4% $24

Eating Out

Geneva

$482 11.8%

Montreux

$474 13.8% 1.5% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Geneva

$375 9.2%

Montreux

$378 11% 0.7% $2.8

Clothing & Footwear

Geneva

$256 6.3%

Montreux

$255 7.4% 0.6% $1.5

Getting Around

Geneva

$126 3.1%

Montreux

$147 4.3% 16% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Geneva

$125 3.1%

Montreux

$138 4% 10.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,825 in Geneva versus $1,773 in Montreux. 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 12% higher in Montreux, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $129 in Geneva versus $125 in Montreux. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $600 vs $575 – making Montreux the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Geneva

🇨🇭 Montreux

🕒 Local time

08:38 8:38 AM

Same time as Geneva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

191,557

26,208

💱 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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Between locations

Geneva Montreux 64 km

From you

Geneva
Montreux

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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 Montreux: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Geneva is pricier by about 19%, 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 $5,160 in Montreux. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montreux, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,773 there versus $2,825 in Geneva.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Geneva, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $129 in Geneva and $125 in Montreux. 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 $4,079 in Geneva and $3,440 in Montreux. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montreux costs $3,440 versus $4,079 in Geneva. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.