For one person, living is cheaper in Pau: $1,441 a month against $2,089 in Swieqi, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Swieqi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Swieqi and in Pau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $2,089 per month in Swieqi vs $1,441 in Pau, rent included.
Swieqi $2,089
Pau $1,441
A couple spends around $3,297 per month in Swieqi vs $2,269 in Pau, rent included.
Swieqi $3,297
Pau $2,269
A family of three spends $4,505 per month in Swieqi vs $3,097 in Pau, rent included.
Swieqi $4,505
Pau $3,097
😐
Swieqi costs about 45% more than Pau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both Swieqi and Pau sit above the global median – Swieqi by 55%, Pau by 7%.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Swieqi
Pau
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.71€14.87
$16.89€15.02
-1.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.0€59.6
$47.83€42.54
40.16%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.11€9.88
$11.18€9.94
-0.63%
Cappuccino
$3.22€2.86
$3.82€3.40
-15.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39€2.13
$2.51€2.23
-4.78%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85€1.64
$1.53€1.36
20.92%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.59€3.20
$5.55€4.94
-35.32%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.56€4.05
$3.79€3.37
20.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Swieqi
Pau
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.36€1.21
$1.16€1.03
17.24%
White Bread(500g)
$1.43€1.27
$2.21€1.97
-35.29%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.41€3.03
$1.55€1.37
120.00%
Eggs
$3.14€2.80
$5.49€4.88
-42.81%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.85€7.87
$20.38€18.13
-56.58%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.97€8.87
$11.79€10.49
-15.44%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$18.00€16.01
$24.95€22.20
-27.86%
Apples(1kg)
$3.73€3.32
$3.74€3.33
-0.27%
Banana(1kg)
$2.18€1.94
$2.25€2.00
-3.11%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.78€2.47
$2.04€1.81
36.27%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.68€3.28
$3.32€2.95
10.84%
Potato(1kg)
$1.86€1.66
$1.68€1.50
10.71%
Onion(1kg)
$2.50€2.22
$2.22€1.97
12.61%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.72€1.53
$1.27€1.13
35.43%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89€0.79
$0.69€0.61
28.99%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.28€5.59
$12.50€11.12
-49.76%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.00€5.33
$9.92€8.82
-39.52%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.49€2.22
$4.35€3.87
-42.76%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30€2.04
$5.49€4.88
-58.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Swieqi
Pau
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.32€2.06
$1.32€1.18
75.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$14.41€12.82
$25.30€22.51
-43.04%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.85€3.43
-
-
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.83€1.63
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$33.02€29.38
-
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.49€1.32
$2.03€1.80
-26.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.5K€24.4K
$35.0K€31.1K
-21.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.0K€34.7K
$35.8K€31.9K
8.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Swieqi
Pau
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$125€111
$86.9€77.3
43.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.22€19.77
$31.04€27.61
-28.41%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.77€26.48
$32.92€29.28
-9.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Swieqi
Pau
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$64.9€57.7
$42.10€37.44
54.11%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.93€14.17
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.87€7.89
$12.19€10.84
-27.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Swieqi
Pau
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$222€197
$382€339
-41.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$12.4K€11.0K
$4,369€3,886
182.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Swieqi
Pau
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.1€50.8
$110€98.3
-48.29%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.6€50.3
$33.30€29.62
69.82%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$112€99.9
$90.7€80.7
23.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128€113
$89.3€79.4
42.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Swieqi
Pau
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,283€1,142
$733€652
75.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,081€961
$392€349
175.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$3,155€2,807
$1,075€956
193.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,140€1,903
$708€630
202.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,950€3,513
$2,411€2,144
63.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,768€2,462
$1,991€1,771
39.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Swieqi
Pau
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,418€1,262
$3,056€2,718
-53.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.01
3.81
5.25%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Swieqi: October 11, 2026
Last update for Pau: October 10, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Swieqi
$1.1K 51.7%
Pau
$392 27.2% ↓ 63.7%$689
🛒Groceries & Markets
Swieqi
$303 14.5%
Pau
$389 27% ↑ 28.4%$86
🍽Eating Out
Swieqi
$250 12%
Pau
$266 18.5% ↑ 6.6%$16
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Swieqi
$177 8.5%
Pau
$151 10.5% ↓ 14.7%$26
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Swieqi
$159 7.6%
Pau
$146 10.1% ↓ 8.4%$13
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Swieqi
$83 4%
Pau
$66 4.6% ↓ 19.5%$16
🚌Getting Around
Swieqi
$37 1.8%
Pau
$31 * 2.1% ↓ 16.6%$6.1
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Swieqi
$2.1K 47.5%
Pau
$708 22.9% ↓ 66.9%$1.4K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Swieqi
$712 15.8%
Pau
$912 29.5% ↑ 28%$200
🍽Eating Out
Swieqi
$841 18.7%
Pau
$775 25% ↓ 7.9%$67
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Swieqi
$199 4.4%
Pau
$182 5.9% ↓ 8.6%$17
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Swieqi
$353 7.9%
Pau
$324 10.5% ↓ 8.4%$30
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Swieqi
$181 4%
Pau
$133 * 4.3% ↓ 26.6%$48
🚌Getting Around
Swieqi
$78 1.7%
Pau
$64 * 2.1% ↓ 18.2%$14
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $1,283 in Swieqi versus $733 in Pau. 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 115% higher in Pau, 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 $67.0 in Swieqi versus $48.00 in Pau. Groceries tell a different story – $303 in Swieqi vs $389 in Pau – so Swieqi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.
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
Swieqi vs Pau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Swieqi and in Pau compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,089 in Swieqi, $1,441 in Pau – roughly 45% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Swieqi compared to Pau?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,133 per month in Swieqi and $2,161 in Pau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Swieqi and Pau?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Pau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 28% cheaper in Swieqi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Swieqi and $48.00 in Pau. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pau, where all-in costs run around $1,441, than in Swieqi at $2,089. In Pau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Swieqi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Swieqi or Pau?
Families tend to lean toward Pau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Swieqi or Pau safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Swieqi and Pau?
If budget matters most, go with Pau. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Swieqi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.