Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Neuchatel and Geneva

For one person, living is cheaper in Neuchatel: $3,172 a month against $4,051 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Neuchatel
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Neuchatel Living Index
197

Cost of Living Index in Geneva
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Geneva Living Index

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Neuchatel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,172

/mo nomad

Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,051

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,172 per month in Neuchatel vs $4,051 in Geneva, rent included.

Neuchatel $3,172
Geneva $4,051

A couple spends around $4,877 per month in Neuchatel vs $6,137 in Geneva, rent included.

Neuchatel $4,877
Geneva $6,137

A family of three spends $6,583 per month in Neuchatel vs $8,222 in Geneva, rent included.

Neuchatel $6,583
Geneva $8,222

Neuchatel is about 22% cheaper than Geneva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Neuchatel and Geneva sit above the global median – Neuchatel by 135%, Geneva by 200%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.68 CHF 21.98

$30.11 CHF 24.80

-11.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$116 CHF 95.6

$132 CHF 108

-11.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.96 CHF 14.79

$18.29 CHF 15.06

-1.80%

Cappuccino

$5.90 CHF 4.86

$6.12 CHF 5.04

-3.59%

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

$3.98 CHF 3.28

$4.69 CHF 3.86

-15.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 CHF 2.76

$4.25 CHF 3.50

-21.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.38 CHF 7.73

$9.69 CHF 7.98

-3.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CHF 5.93

$9.65 CHF 7.95

-25.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 CHF 1.70

$2.25 CHF 1.85

-8.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 CHF 2.54

$3.36 CHF 2.77

-8.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CHF 2.63

$3.40 CHF 2.80

-6.18%

Eggs

$6.84 CHF 5.63

$7.86 CHF 6.47

-12.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.39 CHF 20.91

$24.91 CHF 20.52

1.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.24 CHF 22.43

$29.00 CHF 23.88

-6.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.83 CHF 32.80

$41.83 CHF 34.45

-4.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.61

$3.56 CHF 2.93

-10.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.77

$1.64 CHF 1.35

31.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.39

$2.69 CHF 2.21

8.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 CHF 3.78

$4.76 CHF 3.92

-3.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 CHF 1.37

$1.62 CHF 1.34

2.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 CHF 1.61

$2.15 CHF 1.77

-8.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$2.21 CHF 1.82

0.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CHF 1.00

$1.59 CHF 1.31

-23.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.92 CHF 8.99

$10.98 CHF 9.05

-0.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.01 CHF 9.90

$11.85 CHF 9.76

1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 CHF 2.10

$3.08 CHF 2.54

-17.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CHF 2.08

$3.31 CHF 2.73

-23.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 CHF 2.42

$3.70 CHF 3.04

-20.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.8 CHF 75.6

$90.4 CHF 74.5

1.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.91 CHF 6.51

$7.49 CHF 6.17

5.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.26 CHF 3.51

$3.94 CHF 3.25

8.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$76.4 CHF 62.9

$62.5 CHF 51.5

22.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 CHF 1.92

$2.30 CHF 1.89

1.30%

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

$38.9K CHF 32.0K

$37.9K CHF 31.2K

2.54%

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

$38.4K CHF 31.6K

$38.2K CHF 31.5K

0.60%

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

$240 CHF 198

$281 CHF 231

-14.48%

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

$45.61 CHF 37.56

$36.24 CHF 29.85

25.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.94 CHF 34.54

$57.8 CHF 47.62

-27.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 CHF 80.5

$75.9 CHF 62.5

28.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.55 CHF 34.22

$44.57 CHF 36.71

-6.78%

Cinema Ticket

$21.62 CHF 17.80

$23.65 CHF 19.48

-8.58%

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

$2,467 CHF 2,032

$2,349 CHF 1,935

5.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.2K CHF 21.6K

$35.0K CHF 28.8K

-24.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 CHF 103

$137 CHF 113

-8.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 CHF 41.35

$79.4 CHF 65.4

-36.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 121

$163 CHF 134

-9.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 CHF 119

$185 CHF 152

-22.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 CHF 1,368

$2,816 CHF 2,320

-41.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 CHF 1,130

$2,103 CHF 1,732

-34.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,627 CHF 2,164

$4,789 CHF 3,945

-45.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,373 CHF 1,954

$3,670 CHF 3,023

-35.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.7K CHF 17.0K

$22.3K CHF 18.4K

-7.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.5K CHF 11.1K

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

-13.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,930 CHF 5,707

$7,268 CHF 5,986

-4.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.87

1.98

-5.56%

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

Last update for Neuchatel: October 12, 2026

Last update for Geneva: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Neuchatel

$1.4K 43.2%

Geneva

$2.1K 51.9% 53.3% $731

Groceries & Markets

Neuchatel

$561 17.7%

Geneva

$591 14.6% 5.4% $30

Eating Out

Neuchatel

$429 13.5%

Geneva

$473 11.7% 10.2% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Neuchatel

$328 10.3%

Geneva

$375 9.3% 14.4% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Neuchatel

$210 6.6%

Geneva

$254 6.3% 21.2% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Neuchatel

$141 4.4%

Geneva

$123 3% 12.6% $18

Getting Around

Neuchatel

$133 4.2%

Geneva

$132 3.3% 0.2% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,662 in Neuchatel 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 $116 in Neuchatel versus $132 in Geneva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $561 vs $591 – making Neuchatel the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Neuchatel

🇨🇭 Geneva

🕒 Local time

01:43 1:43 AM

Same time as Neuchatel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,641

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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Neuchatel Geneva 110 km

From you

Neuchatel
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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

Neuchatel vs Geneva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Geneva is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,758 per month in Neuchatel 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 Neuchatel, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% 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 $116 in Neuchatel and $132 in Geneva. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,172 in Neuchatel and $4,051 in Geneva. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Neuchatel – 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 Neuchatel. 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.