Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Olten and Geneva

For one person, living is cheaper in Olten: $3,031 a month against $4,051 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Geneva outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

148

Cost of Living Index in Olten
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Olten Living Index
197

Cost of Living Index in Geneva
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Geneva Living Index

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Olten

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,031

/mo nomad

Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,051

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,031 per month in Olten vs $4,051 in Geneva, rent included.

Olten $3,031
Geneva $4,051

A couple spends around $4,751 per month in Olten vs $6,137 in Geneva, rent included.

Olten $4,751
Geneva $6,137

A family of three spends $6,471 per month in Olten vs $8,222 in Geneva, rent included.

Olten $6,471
Geneva $8,222

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.31 CHF 26.61

$30.11 CHF 24.80

7.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 CHF 97.5

$132 CHF 108

-10.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.16 CHF 14.13

$18.29 CHF 15.06

-6.18%

Cappuccino

$6.41 CHF 5.28

$6.12 CHF 5.04

4.74%

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

$5.47 CHF 4.50

$4.69 CHF 3.86

16.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 CHF 4.32

$4.25 CHF 3.50

23.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.88 CHF 7.31

$9.69 CHF 7.98

-8.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.44 CHF 6.13

$9.65 CHF 7.95

-22.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 CHF 1.72

$2.25 CHF 1.85

-7.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 CHF 3.12

$3.36 CHF 2.77

12.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.71 CHF 3.05

$3.40 CHF 2.80

9.12%

Eggs

$8.21 CHF 6.76

$7.86 CHF 6.47

4.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.85 CHF 21.29

$24.91 CHF 20.52

3.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.47 CHF 21.80

$29.00 CHF 23.88

-8.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$45.90 CHF 37.80

$41.83 CHF 34.45

9.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 CHF 3.35

$3.56 CHF 2.93

14.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 CHF 2.20

$1.64 CHF 1.35

62.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.44

$2.69 CHF 2.21

10.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 CHF 3.75

$4.76 CHF 3.92

-4.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 CHF 2.02

$1.62 CHF 1.34

51.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CHF 1.80

$2.15 CHF 1.77

1.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 2.09

$2.21 CHF 1.82

14.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CHF 1.06

$1.59 CHF 1.31

-18.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.76 CHF 8.86

$10.98 CHF 9.05

-2.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 CHF 11.20

$11.85 CHF 9.76

14.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 CHF 2.21

$3.08 CHF 2.54

-12.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 CHF 2.63

$3.31 CHF 2.73

-3.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.32 CHF 4.38

$3.70 CHF 3.04

43.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 86.7

$90.4 CHF 74.5

16.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 CHF 6.76

$7.49 CHF 6.17

9.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.46 CHF 3.67

$3.94 CHF 3.25

13.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.1 CHF 71.7

$62.5 CHF 51.5

39.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.85

$2.30 CHF 1.89

-2.17%

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

$40.0K CHF 32.9K

$37.9K CHF 31.2K

5.44%

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

$38.3K CHF 31.5K

$38.2K CHF 31.5K

0.23%

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

$272 CHF 224

$281 CHF 231

-3.25%

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

$32.71 CHF 26.94

$36.24 CHF 29.85

-9.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.78 CHF 39.35

$57.8 CHF 47.62

-17.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 CHF 65.9

$75.9 CHF 62.5

5.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.57 CHF 36.71

Cinema Ticket

$20.92 CHF 17.23

$23.65 CHF 19.48

-11.54%

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

$3,499 CHF 2,882

$2,349 CHF 1,935

48.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.5K CHF 35.0K

$35.0K CHF 28.8K

21.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$143 CHF 117

$137 CHF 113

4.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.6 CHF 48.27

$79.4 CHF 65.4

-26.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$163 CHF 134

-0.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$211 CHF 174

$185 CHF 152

14.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 CHF 992

$2,816 CHF 2,320

-57.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,043 CHF 859

$2,103 CHF 1,732

-50.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 CHF 1,606

$4,789 CHF 3,945

-59.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,911 CHF 1,574

$3,670 CHF 3,023

-47.94%

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)

$5,849 CHF 4,817

$7,268 CHF 5,986

-19.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

1.98

4.55%

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

Last update for Olten: 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

Olten

$1K 34.4%

Geneva

$2.1K 51.9% 102% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Olten

$609 20.1%

Geneva

$591 14.6% 3% $18

Eating Out

Olten

$489 16.1%

Geneva

$473 11.7% 3.3% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Olten

$352 11.6%

Geneva

$375 9.3% 6.4% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Olten

$259 8.5%

Geneva

$254 6.3% 1.9% $4.8

Getting Around

Olten

$157 5.2%

Geneva

$132 3.3% 15.6% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Olten

$122 4%

Geneva

$123 3% 1.1% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,205 in Olten 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 24% 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 $118 in Olten versus $132 in Geneva. Groceries tell a different story – $609 in Olten vs $591 in Geneva – so Geneva wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Olten

🇨🇭 Geneva

🕒 Local time

09:48 9:48 AM

Same time as Olten

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,280

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

On the map

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Olten Geneva 180 km

From you

Olten
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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

Olten 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 $4,546 per month in Olten 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 Olten, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Geneva – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in Olten and $132 in Geneva. 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 $3,031 in Olten and $4,051 in Geneva. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Olten – 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 Olten. 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.