Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mendrisio and Geneva

For one person, living is cheaper in Mendrisio: $3,034 a month against $4,051 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Mendrisio
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Mendrisio Living Index
197

Cost of Living Index in Geneva
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Geneva Living Index

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Mendrisio

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,034

/mo nomad

Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,051

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mendrisio and in Geneva

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mendrisio and in Geneva actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,034 per month in Mendrisio vs $4,051 in Geneva, rent included.

Mendrisio $3,034
Geneva $4,051

A couple spends around $3,758 per month in Mendrisio vs $6,137 in Geneva, rent included.

Mendrisio $3,758
Geneva $6,137

A family of three spends $4,483 per month in Mendrisio vs $8,222 in Geneva, rent included.

Mendrisio $4,483
Geneva $8,222

Mendrisio is about 25% cheaper than Geneva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.26 CHF 28.21

$30.11 CHF 24.80

13.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$177 CHF 146

$132 CHF 108

34.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.99 CHF 15.64

$18.29 CHF 15.06

3.83%

Cappuccino

$4.80 CHF 3.96

$6.12 CHF 5.04

-21.57%

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

$5.41 CHF 4.46

$4.69 CHF 3.86

15.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 CHF 3.60

$4.25 CHF 3.50

2.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.36 CHF 6.88

$9.69 CHF 7.98

-13.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 CHF 5.79

$9.65 CHF 7.95

-27.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.80

$2.25 CHF 1.85

-3.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.70 CHF 3.04

$3.36 CHF 2.77

10.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.42

$3.40 CHF 2.80

22.06%

Eggs

$7.07 CHF 5.83

$7.86 CHF 6.47

-10.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.44 CHF 20.95

$24.91 CHF 20.52

2.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.11 CHF 23.15

$29.00 CHF 23.88

-3.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.04 CHF 32.15

$41.83 CHF 34.45

-6.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.60

$3.56 CHF 2.93

-11.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 CHF 1.40

$1.64 CHF 1.35

3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 CHF 2.11

$2.69 CHF 2.21

-4.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.49 CHF 5.35

$4.76 CHF 3.92

36.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 CHF 1.52

$1.62 CHF 1.34

13.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 CHF 1.76

$2.15 CHF 1.77

-0.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CHF 1.93

$2.21 CHF 1.82

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 CHF 0.96

$1.59 CHF 1.31

-27.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.74 CHF 8.84

$10.98 CHF 9.05

-2.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.64 CHF 12.06

$11.85 CHF 9.76

23.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 CHF 2.77

$3.08 CHF 2.54

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 CHF 3.36

$3.31 CHF 2.73

23.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 CHF 2.50

$3.70 CHF 3.04

-18.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.4 CHF 74.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.07 CHF 5.82

$7.49 CHF 6.17

-5.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.38 CHF 4.43

$3.94 CHF 3.25

36.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$78.3 CHF 64.5

$62.5 CHF 51.5

25.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.81

$2.30 CHF 1.89

-4.35%

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

$34.6K CHF 28.5K

$37.9K CHF 31.2K

-8.73%

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

$38.6K CHF 31.8K

$38.2K CHF 31.5K

1.03%

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

$304 CHF 250

$281 CHF 231

8.16%

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

$25.15 CHF 20.71

$36.24 CHF 29.85

-30.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.38 CHF 39.85

$57.8 CHF 47.62

-16.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.1 CHF 60.2

$75.9 CHF 62.5

-3.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.57 CHF 36.71

Cinema Ticket

$21.74 CHF 17.91

$23.65 CHF 19.48

-8.08%

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

$3,187 CHF 2,625

$2,349 CHF 1,935

35.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$38.5K CHF 31.7K

$35.0K CHF 28.8K

9.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CHF 87.8

$137 CHF 113

-22.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.52 CHF 39.14

$79.4 CHF 65.4

-40.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 CHF 135

$163 CHF 134

0.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 CHF 137

$185 CHF 152

-10.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 CHF 1,137

$2,816 CHF 2,320

-50.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 CHF 987

$2,103 CHF 1,732

-43.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,789 CHF 3,945

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 CHF 3,023

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$22.3K CHF 18.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,944 CHF 5,719

$7,268 CHF 5,986

-4.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.37

1.98

19.70%

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

Last update for Mendrisio: October 11, 2026

Last update for Geneva: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mendrisio

$1.2K 39.5%

Geneva

$2.1K 51.9% 75.4% $904

Groceries & Markets

Mendrisio

$594 19.6%

Geneva

$591 14.6% 0.4% $2.5

Eating Out

Mendrisio

$484 15.9%

Geneva

$473 11.7% 2.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mendrisio

$377 12.4%

Geneva

$375 9.3% 0.6% $2.4

Clothing & Footwear

Mendrisio

$218 7.2%

Geneva

$254 6.3% 16.5% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Mendrisio

$117 3.8%

Geneva

$123 3% 5.7% $6.7

Getting Around

Mendrisio

$46 * 1.5%

Geneva

$132 3.3% 188% $86

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,381 in Mendrisio versus $2,816 in Geneva. 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 5% 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 $177 in Mendrisio versus $132 in Geneva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $594 vs $591 – making Geneva the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Mendrisio

🇨🇭 Geneva

🕒 Local time

06:16 6:16 AM

Same time as Mendrisio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,562

191,557

💱 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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Mendrisio Geneva 220 km

From you

Mendrisio
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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

Mendrisio vs Geneva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Geneva is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,551 per month in Mendrisio and $6,077 in Geneva. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,034 in Mendrisio and $4,051 in Geneva. That's a gap of about 34%.

Kindergarten costs $3,187 per month in Mendrisio and $2,349 in Geneva. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,034 in Mendrisio and $4,051 in Geneva. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Mendrisio – 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 Mendrisio. 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.