Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geneva and Solothurn

For one person, living is cheaper in Solothurn: $2,753 a month against $4,079 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 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
132

Cost of Living Index in Solothurn
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Solothurn Living Index

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Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,079

/mo nomad

Solothurn

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,753

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Geneva and in Solothurn

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

A single person spends $4,079 per month in Geneva vs $2,753 in Solothurn, rent included.

Geneva $4,079
Solothurn $2,753

A couple spends around $6,308 per month in Geneva vs $4,410 in Solothurn, rent included.

Geneva $6,308
Solothurn $4,410

A family of three spends $8,538 per month in Geneva vs $6,067 in Solothurn, rent included.

Geneva $8,538
Solothurn $6,067

Geneva costs about 48% more than Solothurn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Geneva and Solothurn sit above the global median – Geneva by 200%, Solothurn by 102%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.31 CHF 25.10

$30.77 CHF 25.48

-1.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$129 CHF 107

$147 CHF 122

-12.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.47 CHF 16.12

$18.33 CHF 15.17

6.22%

Cappuccino

$6.40 CHF 5.29

$6.67 CHF 5.52

-4.05%

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

$4.66 CHF 3.86

$5.31 CHF 4.40

-12.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 CHF 3.42

$5.33 CHF 4.41

-22.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.82 CHF 8.13

$6.59 CHF 5.46

49.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.87 CHF 8.17

$5.89 CHF 4.88

67.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 CHF 1.94

$2.19 CHF 1.81

7.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 CHF 2.70

$3.76 CHF 3.12

-13.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 CHF 2.80

$3.40 CHF 2.82

-0.29%

Eggs

$8.18 CHF 6.77

$8.42 CHF 6.97

-2.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.05 CHF 20.74

$22.43 CHF 18.57

11.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.22 CHF 24.19

$26.36 CHF 21.83

10.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.51 CHF 35.20

$60.1 CHF 49.74

-29.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 CHF 2.93

$2.92 CHF 2.41

20.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 CHF 1.35

$1.49 CHF 1.23

9.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 CHF 2.36

$3.52 CHF 2.92

-19.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 CHF 4.06

$4.26 CHF 3.52

15.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 CHF 1.36

$1.65 CHF 1.36

-0.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 CHF 1.90

$1.84 CHF 1.52

24.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 CHF 1.81

$1.55 CHF 1.29

41.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.38

$1.01 CHF 0.84

64.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.97 CHF 9.08

$10.81 CHF 8.95

1.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 CHF 10.06

$14.12 CHF 11.69

-13.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 CHF 2.66

$2.91 CHF 2.41

10.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 CHF 2.73

$3.11 CHF 2.58

6.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.55 CHF 2.94

$4.68 CHF 3.87

-24.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.8 CHF 71.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 CHF 6.30

$7.96 CHF 6.59

-4.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.76 CHF 3.11

$4.47 CHF 3.70

-15.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.2 CHF 53.1

$88.1 CHF 72.9

-27.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 CHF 1.95

$2.23 CHF 1.84

5.38%

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

$39.5K CHF 32.7K

$30.4K CHF 25.2K

29.90%

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

$38.8K CHF 32.2K

$35.0K CHF 29.0K

11.08%

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

$280 CHF 232

$97.8 CHF 81.0

186.19%

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

$37.96 CHF 31.43

$30.67 CHF 25.39

23.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 CHF 47.65

$54.3 CHF 44.99

5.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.0 CHF 63.7

$89.4 CHF 74.0

-13.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.34 CHF 35.88

$17.05 CHF 14.11

154.19%

Cinema Ticket

$23.96 CHF 19.84

$17.87 CHF 14.79

34.08%

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

$2,484 CHF 2,057

$3,421 CHF 2,832

-27.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.2K CHF 29.1K

$19.5K CHF 16.1K

80.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 110

$138 CHF 114

-3.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.1 CHF 65.5

$41.96 CHF 34.74

88.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$169 CHF 140

$159 CHF 132

5.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 CHF 156

$246 CHF 203

-23.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 CHF 2,339

$1,154 CHF 955

144.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,115 CHF 1,751

$1,043 CHF 864

102.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,088 CHF 4,213

$1,803 CHF 1,493

182.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,963 CHF 3,281

$1,718 CHF 1,422

130.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$22.5K CHF 18.6K

$9,576 CHF 7,929

134.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 13.5K

$4,801 CHF 3,975

239.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,271 CHF 6,020

$6,805 CHF 5,634

6.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.98

2.03

-2.46%

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

Last update for Geneva: October 25, 2026

Last update for Solothurn: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Geneva

$2.1K 51.9%

Solothurn

$1K 37.9% 50.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Geneva

$600 14.7%

Solothurn

$621 22.6% 3.6% $21

Eating Out

Geneva

$482 11.8%

Solothurn

$468 17% 2.7% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Geneva

$375 9.2%

Solothurn

$183 6.6% 51.3% $193

Clothing & Footwear

Geneva

$256 6.3%

Solothurn

$263 9.6% 2.8% $7.1

Getting Around

Geneva

$126 3.1%

Solothurn

$49 * 1.8% 61.2% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Geneva

$125 3.1%

Solothurn

$125 4.6% 0.2% $0.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,825 in Geneva versus $1,154 in Solothurn. 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 7% 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 $129 in Geneva versus $147 in Solothurn. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $600 vs $621 – making Geneva the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Geneva

🇨🇭 Solothurn

🕒 Local time

06:04 6:04 AM

Same time as Geneva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

191,557

16,599

💱 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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Geneva Solothurn 150 km

From you

Geneva
Solothurn

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 Solothurn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Geneva is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,118 per month in Geneva and $4,130 in Solothurn. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Solothurn, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,154 there versus $2,825 in Geneva.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,079 in Geneva and $2,753 in Solothurn. That makes Solothurn about 33% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,484 per month in Geneva and $3,421 in Solothurn. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Geneva has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,753 in Solothurn to $4,079 in Geneva. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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

If budget matters most, go with Solothurn. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Geneva makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.