Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geneva and Olten

For one person, living is cheaper in Olten: $3,049 a month against $4,062 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Geneva outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

196

Cost of Living Index in Geneva
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Geneva Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Olten
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Olten Living Index

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Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,062

/mo nomad

Olten

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,049

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Geneva and in Olten

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

A single person spends $4,062 per month in Geneva vs $3,049 in Olten, rent included.

Geneva $4,062
Olten $3,049

A couple spends around $6,218 per month in Geneva vs $4,812 in Olten, rent included.

Geneva $6,218
Olten $4,812

A family of three spends $8,374 per month in Geneva vs $6,576 in Olten, rent included.

Geneva $8,374
Olten $6,576

Geneva costs about 33% more than Olten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.88 CHF 24.61

$33.18 CHF 27.33

-9.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 CHF 106

$122 CHF 100

5.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.24 CHF 15.85

$17.69 CHF 14.57

8.76%

Cappuccino

$6.35 CHF 5.23

$6.29 CHF 5.18

0.95%

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

$4.65 CHF 3.83

$5.51 CHF 4.54

-15.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 CHF 3.29

$5.21 CHF 4.29

-23.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.54 CHF 7.85

$9.22 CHF 7.59

3.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.80 CHF 8.07

$7.52 CHF 6.19

30.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.91

$2.11 CHF 1.73

9.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 CHF 2.81

$3.87 CHF 3.19

-11.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 CHF 2.68

$3.81 CHF 3.14

-14.70%

Eggs

$8.18 CHF 6.74

$8.37 CHF 6.90

-2.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.34 CHF 20.87

$26.10 CHF 21.50

-2.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.62 CHF 23.57

$26.77 CHF 22.05

6.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.70 CHF 35.17

$46.34 CHF 38.16

-7.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 CHF 2.86

$4.02 CHF 3.31

-13.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 CHF 1.42

$2.69 CHF 2.22

-35.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 CHF 2.25

$2.97 CHF 2.45

-8.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 CHF 3.93

$4.69 CHF 3.86

1.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 CHF 1.29

$2.49 CHF 2.05

-36.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 CHF 1.88

$2.14 CHF 1.76

6.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 CHF 1.85

$2.55 CHF 2.10

-12.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 CHF 1.32

$1.29 CHF 1.06

24.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.81 CHF 8.90

$10.85 CHF 8.93

-0.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 CHF 10.12

$14.12 CHF 11.63

-13.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.24 CHF 2.67

$2.79 CHF 2.30

16.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 CHF 2.84

$3.25 CHF 2.68

6.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.58 CHF 2.95

$5.30 CHF 4.37

-32.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 CHF 72.5

$107 CHF 88.3

-17.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.46 CHF 6.15

$8.39 CHF 6.91

-11.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.76 CHF 3.10

$4.53 CHF 3.73

-17.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.6 CHF 52.4

$90.2 CHF 74.3

-29.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 CHF 1.97

$2.16 CHF 1.78

10.65%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.7K

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

0.29%

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

$40.1K CHF 33.0K

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

2.06%

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

$289 CHF 238

$275 CHF 227

4.96%

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

$38.37 CHF 31.60

$32.97 CHF 27.15

16.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 CHF 47.18

$47.51 CHF 39.13

20.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.2 CHF 61.1

$80.2 CHF 66.1

-7.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.73 CHF 35.19

Cinema Ticket

$24.02 CHF 19.78

$21.01 CHF 17.30

14.33%

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

$2,371 CHF 1,952

$3,608 CHF 2,971

-34.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.0K CHF 29.7K

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

-13.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 111

$143 CHF 118

-5.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.7 CHF 65.7

$59.3 CHF 48.81

34.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$168 CHF 138

$167 CHF 137

0.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$191 CHF 157

$210 CHF 173

-9.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,779 CHF 2,289

$1,210 CHF 997

129.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 CHF 1,726

$1,035 CHF 852

102.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,804 CHF 3,957

$1,968 CHF 1,621

144.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,809 CHF 3,137

$1,948 CHF 1,605

95.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$21.9K CHF 18.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,087 CHF 5,837

$5,837 CHF 4,808

21.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.98

2.07

-4.35%

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

Last update for Geneva: October 20, 2026

Last update for Olten: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Geneva

$2.1K 51.6%

Olten

$1K 34% 50.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Geneva

$598 14.7%

Olten

$617 20.3% 3.3% $20

Eating Out

Geneva

$475 11.7%

Olten

$498 16.3% 4.9% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Geneva

$385 9.5%

Olten

$356 11.7% 7.5% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Geneva

$258 6.4%

Olten

$261 8.6% 1.1% $2.9

Getting Around

Geneva

$129 3.2%

Olten

$160 5.2% 24.1% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Geneva

$122 3%

Olten

$122 4% 0% $0

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,779 in Geneva versus $1,210 in Olten. 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 21% 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 $128 in Geneva versus $122 in Olten. Groceries tell a different story – $598 in Geneva vs $617 in Olten – so Geneva wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Geneva

🇨🇭 Olten

🕒 Local time

14:30 2:30 PM

Same time as Geneva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

191,557

17,280

💱 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

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Geneva Olten 180 km

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Geneva
Olten

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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 Olten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Geneva is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,093 per month in Geneva and $4,573 in Olten. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Geneva – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $128 in Geneva and $122 in Olten. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,062 in Geneva and $3,049 in Olten. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Olten – 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 Olten. 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.