Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreux and Geneva

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreux: $3,392 a month against $4,051 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Montreux
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Montreux Living Index
197

Cost of Living Index in Geneva
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Geneva Living Index

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Montreux

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,392

/mo nomad

Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,051

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreux 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 Montreux and in Geneva actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,392 per month in Montreux vs $4,051 in Geneva, rent included.

Montreux $3,392
Geneva $4,051

A couple spends around $5,203 per month in Montreux vs $6,137 in Geneva, rent included.

Montreux $5,203
Geneva $6,137

A family of three spends $7,015 per month in Montreux vs $8,222 in Geneva, rent included.

Montreux $7,015
Geneva $8,222

Montreux is about 16% cheaper than Geneva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.50 CHF 25.12

$30.11 CHF 24.80

1.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$132 CHF 109

$132 CHF 108

0.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.41 CHF 15.16

$18.29 CHF 15.06

0.66%

Cappuccino

$5.93 CHF 4.89

$6.12 CHF 5.04

-3.10%

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

$4.86 CHF 4.00

$4.69 CHF 3.86

3.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 CHF 3.38

$4.25 CHF 3.50

-3.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.83 CHF 8.10

$9.69 CHF 7.98

1.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 CHF 8.11

$9.65 CHF 7.95

2.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 CHF 1.75

$2.25 CHF 1.85

-5.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.35 CHF 2.76

$3.36 CHF 2.77

-0.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.66

$3.40 CHF 2.80

-5.00%

Eggs

$7.08 CHF 5.83

$7.86 CHF 6.47

-9.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.74 CHF 20.37

$24.91 CHF 20.52

-0.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.15 CHF 23.19

$29.00 CHF 23.88

-2.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.23 CHF 32.31

$41.83 CHF 34.45

-6.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 CHF 2.86

$3.56 CHF 2.93

-2.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 CHF 1.35

$1.64 CHF 1.35

-0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 2.00

$2.69 CHF 2.21

-9.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 CHF 3.81

$4.76 CHF 3.92

-2.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CHF 1.47

$1.62 CHF 1.34

10.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 CHF 1.58

$2.15 CHF 1.77

-10.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 CHF 1.61

$2.21 CHF 1.82

-11.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CHF 1.42

$1.59 CHF 1.31

8.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.67 CHF 8.79

$10.98 CHF 9.05

-2.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.98 CHF 9.87

$11.85 CHF 9.76

1.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 CHF 2.22

$3.08 CHF 2.54

-12.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.60

$3.31 CHF 2.73

-4.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.54 CHF 3.74

$3.70 CHF 3.04

22.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 CHF 82.8

$90.4 CHF 74.5

11.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.52 CHF 6.20

$7.49 CHF 6.17

0.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.95 CHF 3.25

$3.94 CHF 3.25

0.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.4 CHF 51.4

$62.5 CHF 51.5

-0.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.89

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

$38.2K CHF 31.4K

$37.9K CHF 31.2K

0.62%

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

$38.8K CHF 32.0K

$38.2K CHF 31.5K

1.61%

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

$285 CHF 234

$281 CHF 231

1.38%

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

$36.64 CHF 30.18

$36.24 CHF 29.85

1.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CHF 41.94

$57.8 CHF 47.62

-11.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.5 CHF 72.9

$75.9 CHF 62.5

16.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.52 CHF 37.49

$44.57 CHF 36.71

2.13%

Cinema Ticket

$23.83 CHF 19.63

$23.65 CHF 19.48

0.76%

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

$2,416 CHF 1,990

$2,349 CHF 1,935

2.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.8K CHF 29.5K

$35.0K CHF 28.8K

2.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 113

0.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.0 CHF 62.6

$79.4 CHF 65.4

-4.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$163 CHF 134

-0.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 152

-0.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 CHF 1,378

$2,816 CHF 2,320

-40.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 CHF 1,186

$2,103 CHF 1,732

-31.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,879 CHF 2,371

$4,789 CHF 3,945

-39.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,458 CHF 2,025

$3,670 CHF 3,023

-33.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.6K CHF 12.9K

$22.3K CHF 18.4K

-29.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.1K CHF 9,982

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

-22.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,082 CHF 6,657

$7,268 CHF 5,986

11.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

1.98

-1.52%

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

Last update for Montreux: 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

Montreux

$1.4K 42.5%

Geneva

$2.1K 51.9% 46% $663

Groceries & Markets

Montreux

$570 16.8%

Geneva

$591 14.6% 3.7% $21

Eating Out

Montreux

$475 14%

Geneva

$473 11.7% 0.5% $2.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreux

$372 11%

Geneva

$375 9.3% 0.7% $2.6

Clothing & Footwear

Montreux

$252 7.4%

Geneva

$254 6.3% 0.7% $1.8

Getting Around

Montreux

$146 4.3%

Geneva

$132 3.3% 9.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Montreux

$136 4%

Geneva

$123 3% 9.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,673 in Montreux 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 11% higher in Montreux, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $132 in Montreux versus $132 in Geneva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $570 vs $591 – making Montreux the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Montreux

🇨🇭 Geneva

🕒 Local time

02:45 2:45 AM

Same time as Montreux

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,208

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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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

Montreux vs Geneva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Geneva is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,088 per month in Montreux 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 Montreux, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% 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 Montreux and $132 in Geneva. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,392 in Montreux and $4,051 in Geneva. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Montreux – 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 Montreux. 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.