Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geneva and Yens

For one person, living is cheaper in Yens: $3,568 a month against $4,172 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

200

Cost of Living Index in Geneva
Learn more

Geneva Living Index
167

Cost of Living Index in Yens
Learn more

Yens Living Index

Jump to prices

Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,172

/mo nomad

Yens

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Geneva and in Yens

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

A single person spends $4,172 per month in Geneva vs $3,568 in Yens, rent included.

Geneva $4,172
Yens $3,568

A couple spends around $6,330 per month in Geneva vs $5,328 in Yens, rent included.

Geneva $6,330
Yens $5,328

A family of three spends $8,488 per month in Geneva vs $7,088 in Yens, rent included.

Geneva $8,488
Yens $7,088

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

Both Geneva and Yens sit above the global median – Geneva by 209%, Yens by 164%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.38 CHF 24.81

$29.48 CHF 24.07

3.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 CHF 98.6

$116 CHF 94.4

4.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.26 CHF 15.72

$16.12 CHF 13.16

19.48%

Cappuccino

$6.46 CHF 5.28

$6.35 CHF 5.19

1.73%

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

$4.86 CHF 3.97

$5.07 CHF 4.14

-4.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 CHF 3.41

$4.04 CHF 3.30

3.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.95 CHF 8.12

$9.34 CHF 7.63

6.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.61 CHF 7.85

$7.91 CHF 6.46

21.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 CHF 1.93

$2.26 CHF 1.85

4.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 CHF 2.85

$3.06 CHF 2.50

14.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 CHF 2.68

$3.32 CHF 2.71

-1.20%

Eggs

$7.91 CHF 6.46

$7.55 CHF 6.17

4.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.97 CHF 20.38

$24.49 CHF 19.99

1.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.79 CHF 23.50

$27.77 CHF 22.67

3.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.93 CHF 35.05

$40.09 CHF 32.73

7.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 CHF 2.83

$3.63 CHF 2.97

-4.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 CHF 1.35

$2.00 CHF 1.63

-17.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 CHF 2.25

$2.52 CHF 2.06

9.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 CHF 3.98

$4.74 CHF 3.87

2.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 CHF 1.28

$1.66 CHF 1.35

-5.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 CHF 1.81

$1.97 CHF 1.61

12.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 CHF 1.85

$2.08 CHF 1.70

8.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 CHF 1.39

$1.37 CHF 1.12

24.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.90 CHF 8.90

$11.04 CHF 9.01

-1.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 CHF 9.84

$12.38 CHF 10.10

-2.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 CHF 2.53

$2.23 CHF 1.82

39.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 CHF 2.70

$3.05 CHF 2.49

8.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.59 CHF 2.93

$3.99 CHF 3.26

-10.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.7 CHF 69.2

$107 CHF 87.7

-21.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 CHF 6.26

$7.99 CHF 6.52

-4.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.86 CHF 3.15

$4.69 CHF 3.83

-17.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.2 CHF 51.6

$85.7 CHF 70.0

-26.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 CHF 1.94

$2.34 CHF 1.91

1.28%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.5K

$39.0K CHF 31.9K

2.04%

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

$39.2K CHF 32.0K

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

-1.96%

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

$288 CHF 235

$280 CHF 229

2.71%

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

$35.83 CHF 29.25

$28.64 CHF 23.38

25.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 CHF 47.83

$53.4 CHF 43.61

9.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.6 CHF 64.2

$76.2 CHF 62.2

3.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.26 CHF 35.32

$47.19 CHF 38.52

-8.33%

Cinema Ticket

$24.70 CHF 20.17

$24.30 CHF 19.84

1.65%

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

$2,568 CHF 2,096

$2,957 CHF 2,414

-13.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$38.9K CHF 31.7K

$35.6K CHF 29.1K

9.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$136 CHF 111

$143 CHF 117

-4.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.1 CHF 64.6

$61.4 CHF 50.1

28.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$165 CHF 135

$141 CHF 115

16.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$187 CHF 152

$195 CHF 159

-4.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,921 CHF 2,385

$1,735 CHF 1,416

68.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,199 CHF 1,795

$1,655 CHF 1,351

32.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,223 CHF 4,264

$2,868 CHF 2,342

82.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,948 CHF 3,223

$2,682 CHF 2,189

47.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.1K CHF 18.9K

$16.6K CHF 13.6K

39.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.2K

$11.5K CHF 9,368

40.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,394 CHF 6,036

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Yens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Geneva

$2.2K 52.7%

Yens

$1.7K 46.4% 24.7% $544

Groceries & Markets

Geneva

$598 14.4%

Yens

$569 16% 4.9% $29

Eating Out

Geneva

$484 11.6%

Yens

$459 12.9% 5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Geneva

$382 9.2%

Yens

$362 10.2% 5.2% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Geneva

$255 6.1%

Yens

$243 6.8% 4.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Geneva

$128 3.1%

Yens

$125 3.5% 2.6% $3.3

Getting Around

Geneva

$126 3%

Yens

$155 4.3% 22.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,921 in Geneva versus $1,735 in Yens. 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 $121 in Geneva versus $116 in Yens. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $598 vs $569 – making Yens the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Geneva

🇨🇭 Yens

🕒 Local time

10:26 10:26 AM

Same time as Geneva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

191,557

2,200

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Geneva Yens 41 km

From you

Geneva
Yens

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 Yens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,257 per month in Geneva and $5,352 in Yens. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yens, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,735 there versus $2,921 in Geneva.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Geneva, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $121 in Geneva and $116 in Yens. 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 $4,172 in Geneva and $3,568 in Yens. 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 $3,568 in Yens to $4,172 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.