Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geneva and Thun

For one person, living is cheaper in Thun: $3,388 a month against $4,051 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

197

Cost of Living Index in Geneva
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Geneva Living Index
166

Cost of Living Index in Thun
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Thun Living Index

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Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,051

/mo nomad

Thun

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Geneva and in Thun

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

A single person spends $4,051 per month in Geneva vs $3,388 in Thun, rent included.

Geneva $4,051
Thun $3,388

A couple spends around $6,137 per month in Geneva vs $5,170 in Thun, rent included.

Geneva $6,137
Thun $5,170

A family of three spends $8,222 per month in Geneva vs $6,952 in Thun, rent included.

Geneva $8,222
Thun $6,952

Geneva costs about 20% more than Thun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Geneva and Thun sit above the global median – Geneva by 200%, Thun by 151%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.11 CHF 24.80

$28.31 CHF 23.32

6.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$132 CHF 108

$122 CHF 100

7.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.29 CHF 15.06

$15.51 CHF 12.77

17.92%

Cappuccino

$6.12 CHF 5.04

$6.45 CHF 5.31

-5.12%

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

$4.69 CHF 3.86

$6.28 CHF 5.17

-25.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 CHF 3.50

$5.88 CHF 4.84

-27.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.69 CHF 7.98

$8.85 CHF 7.29

9.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.65 CHF 7.95

$7.67 CHF 6.32

25.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.85

$2.13 CHF 1.76

5.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 CHF 2.77

$2.99 CHF 2.46

12.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 CHF 2.80

$3.13 CHF 2.58

8.63%

Eggs

$7.86 CHF 6.47

$7.60 CHF 6.26

3.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.91 CHF 20.52

$23.82 CHF 19.62

4.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.00 CHF 23.88

$26.88 CHF 22.14

7.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.83 CHF 34.45

$39.26 CHF 32.34

6.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 CHF 2.93

$3.55 CHF 2.92

0.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 CHF 1.35

$1.96 CHF 1.61

-16.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 CHF 2.21

$2.65 CHF 2.18

1.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 CHF 3.92

$4.73 CHF 3.90

0.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 CHF 1.34

$1.56 CHF 1.28

3.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.77

$2.00 CHF 1.65

7.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 CHF 1.82

$2.19 CHF 1.80

0.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CHF 1.31

$1.28 CHF 1.05

24.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 CHF 9.05

$11.25 CHF 9.26

-2.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.85 CHF 9.76

$12.09 CHF 9.96

-1.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 CHF 2.54

$2.26 CHF 1.86

36.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 CHF 2.73

$2.92 CHF 2.41

13.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.70 CHF 3.04

$4.49 CHF 3.70

-17.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.4 CHF 74.5

$100 CHF 82.6

-9.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.49 CHF 6.17

$8.04 CHF 6.62

-6.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.94 CHF 3.25

$4.53 CHF 3.73

-13.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.5 CHF 51.5

$82.9 CHF 68.3

-24.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.89

$2.38 CHF 1.96

-3.36%

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

$37.9K CHF 31.2K

$42.5K CHF 35.0K

-10.80%

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

$38.2K CHF 31.5K

$39.4K CHF 32.5K

-3.18%

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

$281 CHF 231

$289 CHF 238

-2.90%

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

$36.24 CHF 29.85

$46.36 CHF 38.18

-21.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 CHF 47.62

$62.8 CHF 51.7

-7.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 CHF 62.5

$89.8 CHF 74.0

-15.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.57 CHF 36.71

$46.01 CHF 37.89

-3.13%

Cinema Ticket

$23.65 CHF 19.48

$23.22 CHF 19.12

1.85%

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

$2,349 CHF 1,935

$3,058 CHF 2,519

-23.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.0K CHF 28.8K

$30.5K CHF 25.1K

14.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 113

$144 CHF 119

-5.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.4 CHF 65.4

$78.8 CHF 64.9

0.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$163 CHF 134

$159 CHF 131

2.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 152

$192 CHF 158

-3.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,816 CHF 2,320

$1,685 CHF 1,388

67.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 CHF 1,732

$1,432 CHF 1,180

46.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,789 CHF 3,945

$2,842 CHF 2,341

68.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 CHF 3,023

$2,457 CHF 2,023

49.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$22.3K CHF 18.4K

$16.2K CHF 13.4K

37.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

$11.8K CHF 9,721

32.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,268 CHF 5,986

$5,785 CHF 4,765

25.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.98

2.42

-18.18%

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

Last update for Geneva: October 10, 2026

Last update for Thun: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Geneva

$2.1K 51.9%

Thun

$1.4K 42.3% 31.9% $670

Groceries & Markets

Geneva

$591 14.6%

Thun

$556 16.4% 6% $36

Eating Out

Geneva

$473 11.7%

Thun

$459 13.5% 3% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Geneva

$375 9.3%

Thun

$398 11.8% 6.3% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Geneva

$254 6.3%

Thun

$258 7.6% 1.7% $4.3

Getting Around

Geneva

$132 3.3%

Thun

$149 4.4% 12.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Geneva

$123 3%

Thun

$136 4% 10.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,816 in Geneva versus $1,685 in Thun. 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 26% 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 $122 in Thun. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $591 vs $556 – making Thun the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Geneva

🇨🇭 Thun

🕒 Local time

11:16 11:16 AM

Same time as Geneva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

191,557

43,905

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Geneva Thun 130 km

From you

Geneva
Thun

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 Thun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Geneva is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,077 per month in Geneva and $5,083 in Thun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 6% more in Geneva, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $132 in Geneva and $122 in Thun. 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 $4,051 in Geneva and $3,388 in Thun. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Thun – 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 Thun. 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.