Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sion and Geneva

For one person, living is cheaper in Sion: $3,235 a month against $4,051 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Geneva outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

157

Cost of Living Index in Sion
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Sion Living Index
197

Cost of Living Index in Geneva
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Geneva Living Index

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Sion

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,235

/mo nomad

Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,051

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,235 per month in Sion vs $4,051 in Geneva, rent included.

Sion $3,235
Geneva $4,051

A couple spends around $4,857 per month in Sion vs $6,137 in Geneva, rent included.

Sion $4,857
Geneva $6,137

A family of three spends $6,479 per month in Sion vs $8,222 in Geneva, rent included.

Sion $6,479
Geneva $8,222

Sion is about 20% cheaper than Geneva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sion and Geneva sit above the global median – Sion by 140%, Geneva by 200%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.97 CHF 23.86

$30.11 CHF 24.80

-3.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 CHF 73.8

$132 CHF 108

-31.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.15 CHF 15.77

$18.29 CHF 15.06

4.70%

Cappuccino

$4.60 CHF 3.79

$6.12 CHF 5.04

-24.84%

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

$5.09 CHF 4.19

$4.69 CHF 3.86

8.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 CHF 3.52

$4.25 CHF 3.50

0.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 CHF 6.06

$9.69 CHF 7.98

-24.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.29 CHF 6.00

$9.65 CHF 7.95

-24.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 CHF 1.60

$2.25 CHF 1.85

-13.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 CHF 2.92

$3.36 CHF 2.77

5.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.19 CHF 3.45

$3.40 CHF 2.80

23.24%

Eggs

$7.13 CHF 5.87

$7.86 CHF 6.47

-9.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.01 CHF 21.42

$24.91 CHF 20.52

4.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$22.69 CHF 18.69

$29.00 CHF 23.88

-21.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.09 CHF 33.02

$41.83 CHF 34.45

-4.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.59

$3.56 CHF 2.93

-11.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 CHF 1.40

$1.64 CHF 1.35

3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 2.09

$2.69 CHF 2.21

-5.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.20 CHF 5.11

$4.76 CHF 3.92

30.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CHF 1.53

$1.62 CHF 1.34

14.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.78

$2.15 CHF 1.77

0.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CHF 2.00

$2.21 CHF 1.82

9.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 CHF 0.97

$1.59 CHF 1.31

-26.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.85 CHF 8.94

$10.98 CHF 9.05

-1.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CHF 11.74

$11.85 CHF 9.76

20.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 CHF 1.45

$3.08 CHF 2.54

-42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 CHF 1.57

$3.31 CHF 2.73

-42.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.24 CHF 4.32

$3.70 CHF 3.04

41.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$179 CHF 148

$90.4 CHF 74.5

98.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 CHF 4.89

$7.49 CHF 6.17

-20.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.29 CHF 4.36

$3.94 CHF 3.25

34.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.12 CHF 39.63

$62.5 CHF 51.5

-23.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.82

$2.30 CHF 1.89

-3.91%

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

$34.2K CHF 28.2K

$37.9K CHF 31.2K

-9.74%

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

$37.6K CHF 31.0K

$38.2K CHF 31.5K

-1.48%

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

$308 CHF 254

$281 CHF 231

9.75%

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

$24.86 CHF 20.48

$36.24 CHF 29.85

-31.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.64 CHF 40.89

$57.8 CHF 47.62

-14.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$135 CHF 111

$75.9 CHF 62.5

77.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.5 CHF 44.88

$44.57 CHF 36.71

22.26%

Cinema Ticket

$20.28 CHF 16.70

$23.65 CHF 19.48

-14.25%

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

$953 CHF 785

$2,349 CHF 1,935

-59.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.7K CHF 31.1K

$35.0K CHF 28.8K

7.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 CHF 89.7

$137 CHF 113

-20.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.21 CHF 39.71

$79.4 CHF 65.4

-39.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 CHF 133

$163 CHF 134

-1.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 CHF 136

$185 CHF 152

-10.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 CHF 1,005

$2,816 CHF 2,320

-56.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CHF 1,021

$2,103 CHF 1,732

-41.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 CHF 1,913

$4,789 CHF 3,945

-51.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,072 CHF 1,707

$3,670 CHF 3,023

-43.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,339 CHF 6,045

$22.3K CHF 18.4K

-67.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,532 CHF 4,556

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

-64.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,826 CHF 4,798

$7,268 CHF 5,986

-19.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.15

1.98

8.59%

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

Last update for Sion: 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

Sion

$1.2K 38.3%

Geneva

$2.1K 51.9% 69.6% $863

Groceries & Markets

Sion

$554 17.1%

Geneva

$591 14.6% 6.8% $38

Eating Out

Sion

$433 13.4%

Geneva

$473 11.7% 9.1% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sion

$383 11.8%

Geneva

$375 9.3% 2% $7.8

Getting Around

Sion

$233 7.2%

Geneva

$132 3.3% 43.1% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Sion

$217 6.7%

Geneva

$254 6.3% 16.9% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Sion

$175 5.4%

Geneva

$123 3% 29.7% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,221 in Sion 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 25% 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 $90.0 in Sion versus $132 in Geneva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $554 vs $591 – making Sion the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Sion

🇨🇭 Geneva

🕒 Local time

06:15 6:15 AM

Same time as Sion

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,599

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sion Geneva 93 km

From you

Sion
Geneva

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

Sion vs Geneva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Geneva is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,853 per month in Sion 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 Sion, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% 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 $90.0 in Sion 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 $3,235 in Sion and $4,051 in Geneva. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Sion – 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 Sion. 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.