Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geneva and Staefa

For one person, living is cheaper in Staefa: $3,475 a month against $4,079 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Geneva outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

198

Cost of Living Index in Geneva
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Geneva Living Index
166

Cost of Living Index in Staefa
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Staefa Living Index

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Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,079

/mo nomad

Staefa

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,475

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Geneva and in Staefa

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

A single person spends $4,079 per month in Geneva vs $3,475 in Staefa, rent included.

Geneva $4,079
Staefa $3,475

A couple spends around $6,308 per month in Geneva vs $5,304 in Staefa, rent included.

Geneva $6,308
Staefa $5,304

A family of three spends $8,538 per month in Geneva vs $7,132 in Staefa, rent included.

Geneva $8,538
Staefa $7,132

Geneva costs about 17% more than Staefa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Geneva and Staefa sit above the global median – Geneva by 200%, Staefa by 155%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.31 CHF 25.15

$33.44 CHF 27.74

-9.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$129 CHF 107

$122 CHF 101

6.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.47 CHF 16.15

$16.20 CHF 13.44

20.19%

Cappuccino

$6.40 CHF 5.31

$6.25 CHF 5.19

2.40%

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

$4.66 CHF 3.87

$5.69 CHF 4.72

-18.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 CHF 3.43

$5.10 CHF 4.23

-19.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.82 CHF 8.14

$8.37 CHF 6.95

17.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.87 CHF 8.19

$8.60 CHF 7.13

14.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 CHF 1.95

$2.16 CHF 1.79

8.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 CHF 2.70

$3.28 CHF 2.72

-0.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 CHF 2.81

$3.89 CHF 3.22

-12.85%

Eggs

$8.18 CHF 6.78

$8.36 CHF 6.93

-2.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.05 CHF 20.78

$26.66 CHF 22.11

-6.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.22 CHF 24.24

$26.56 CHF 22.03

10.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.51 CHF 35.27

$55.3 CHF 45.86

-23.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 CHF 2.93

$3.49 CHF 2.89

1.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 CHF 1.35

$2.78 CHF 2.31

-41.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 CHF 2.36

$3.58 CHF 2.97

-20.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 CHF 4.07

$4.52 CHF 3.75

8.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 CHF 1.36

$2.47 CHF 2.05

-33.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 CHF 1.90

$2.19 CHF 1.82

4.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 CHF 1.82

$2.45 CHF 2.03

-10.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.38

$1.29 CHF 1.07

28.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.97 CHF 9.10

$10.68 CHF 8.86

2.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 CHF 10.08

$14.15 CHF 11.74

-14.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 CHF 2.66

$2.75 CHF 2.28

16.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 CHF 2.74

$3.21 CHF 2.66

2.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.55 CHF 2.95

$4.36 CHF 3.61

-18.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.8 CHF 71.2

$101 CHF 83.6

-14.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 CHF 6.31

$7.54 CHF 6.25

0.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.76 CHF 3.12

$4.69 CHF 3.89

-19.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.2 CHF 53.2

$86.9 CHF 72.1

-26.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 CHF 1.95

$2.32 CHF 1.92

1.29%

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

$39.5K CHF 32.8K

$39.2K CHF 32.5K

0.91%

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

$38.8K CHF 32.2K

$38.5K CHF 32.0K

0.78%

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

$280 CHF 232

$232 CHF 193

20.51%

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

$37.96 CHF 31.49

$32.86 CHF 27.26

15.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 CHF 47.74

$55.5 CHF 46.08

3.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.0 CHF 63.8

$91.1 CHF 75.6

-15.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.34 CHF 35.95

$46.55 CHF 38.62

-6.90%

Cinema Ticket

$23.96 CHF 19.88

$21.56 CHF 17.88

11.13%

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

$2,484 CHF 2,061

$2,904 CHF 2,409

-14.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.2K CHF 29.2K

$42.2K CHF 35.0K

-16.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 110

$139 CHF 115

-3.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.1 CHF 65.6

$58.4 CHF 48.42

35.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$169 CHF 140

$145 CHF 121

15.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 CHF 156

$170 CHF 141

11.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 CHF 2,344

$1,760 CHF 1,460

60.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,115 CHF 1,754

$1,509 CHF 1,252

40.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,088 CHF 4,221

$2,982 CHF 2,474

70.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,963 CHF 3,287

$2,507 CHF 2,080

58.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$22.5K CHF 18.6K

$16.4K CHF 13.6K

37.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 13.5K

$12.2K CHF 10.1K

34.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,271 CHF 6,032

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.98

1.72

15.12%

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

Last update for Geneva: October 25, 2026

Last update for Staefa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Geneva

$2.1K 51.9%

Staefa

$1.5K 43.4% 28.6% $606

Groceries & Markets

Geneva

$600 14.7%

Staefa

$639 18.4% 6.5% $39

Eating Out

Geneva

$482 11.8%

Staefa

$493 14.2% 2.4% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Geneva

$375 9.2%

Staefa

$321 9.2% 14.6% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Geneva

$256 6.3%

Staefa

$230 6.6% 10.1% $26

Getting Around

Geneva

$126 3.1%

Staefa

$149 4.3% 18% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Geneva

$125 3.1%

Staefa

$134 3.9% 7.5% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,825 in Geneva versus $1,760 in Staefa. 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 $129 in Geneva versus $122 in Staefa. Groceries tell a different story – $600 in Geneva vs $639 in Staefa – so Geneva wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Geneva

🇨🇭 Staefa

🕒 Local time

21:26 9:26 PM

Same time as Geneva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

191,557

11,567

💱 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 Staefa 230 km

From you

Geneva
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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 Staefa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Geneva is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,118 per month in Geneva and $5,213 in Staefa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Staefa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,760 there versus $2,825 in Geneva.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Geneva – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $129 in Geneva and $122 in Staefa. 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 $4,079 in Geneva and $3,475 in Staefa. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Geneva has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,475 in Staefa 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.