Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yens and Geneva

For one person, living is cheaper in Yens: $3,329 a month against $4,051 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

162

Cost of Living Index in Yens
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Yens Living Index
197

Cost of Living Index in Geneva
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Geneva Living Index

Jump to prices

Yens

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,329

/mo nomad

Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,051

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,329 per month in Yens vs $4,051 in Geneva, rent included.

Yens $3,329
Geneva $4,051

A couple spends around $5,100 per month in Yens vs $6,137 in Geneva, rent included.

Yens $5,100
Geneva $6,137

A family of three spends $6,872 per month in Yens vs $8,222 in Geneva, rent included.

Yens $6,872
Geneva $8,222

Yens is about 18% cheaper than Geneva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Yens and Geneva sit above the global median – Yens by 147%, Geneva by 200%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.34 CHF 24.16

$30.11 CHF 24.80

-2.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 CHF 98.0

$132 CHF 108

-9.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.95 CHF 13.14

$18.29 CHF 15.06

-12.79%

Cappuccino

$6.00 CHF 4.94

$6.12 CHF 5.04

-1.96%

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

$4.95 CHF 4.08

$4.69 CHF 3.86

5.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 CHF 3.51

$4.25 CHF 3.50

0.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.07 CHF 7.47

$9.69 CHF 7.98

-6.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.69 CHF 6.34

$9.65 CHF 7.95

-20.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.76

$2.25 CHF 1.85

-5.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 CHF 2.46

$3.36 CHF 2.77

-11.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 CHF 2.62

$3.40 CHF 2.80

-6.47%

Eggs

$7.17 CHF 5.91

$7.86 CHF 6.47

-8.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.95 CHF 19.73

$24.91 CHF 20.52

-3.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.06 CHF 23.11

$29.00 CHF 23.88

-3.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.38 CHF 32.44

$41.83 CHF 34.45

-5.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 CHF 2.99

$3.56 CHF 2.93

1.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 CHF 1.61

$1.64 CHF 1.35

18.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.08

$2.69 CHF 2.21

-6.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 CHF 3.65

$4.76 CHF 3.92

-6.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 CHF 1.34

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 CHF 1.60

$2.15 CHF 1.77

-9.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 CHF 1.63

$2.21 CHF 1.82

-10.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CHF 1.05

$1.59 CHF 1.31

-20.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.70 CHF 8.81

$10.98 CHF 9.05

-2.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.98 CHF 9.87

$11.85 CHF 9.76

1.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 CHF 1.85

$3.08 CHF 2.54

-27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 CHF 2.36

$3.31 CHF 2.73

-13.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.77

$3.70 CHF 3.04

23.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.4 CHF 81.0

$90.4 CHF 74.5

8.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 CHF 6.34

$7.49 CHF 6.17

2.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.56 CHF 3.75

$3.94 CHF 3.25

15.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$84.2 CHF 69.3

$62.5 CHF 51.5

34.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 CHF 1.94

$2.30 CHF 1.89

2.61%

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

$41.9K CHF 34.5K

$37.9K CHF 31.2K

10.42%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.7K

$38.2K CHF 31.5K

3.96%

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

$274 CHF 225

$281 CHF 231

-2.54%

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

$27.35 CHF 22.52

$36.24 CHF 29.85

-24.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 CHF 42.31

$57.8 CHF 47.62

-11.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.6 CHF 73.8

$75.9 CHF 62.5

17.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.51 CHF 37.48

$44.57 CHF 36.71

2.11%

Cinema Ticket

$24.00 CHF 19.76

$23.65 CHF 19.48

1.48%

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

$2,954 CHF 2,433

$2,349 CHF 1,935

25.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.3K CHF 25.0K

$35.0K CHF 28.8K

-13.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 CHF 116

$137 CHF 113

3.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 CHF 50.6

$79.4 CHF 65.4

-22.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 CHF 114

$163 CHF 134

-15.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$197 CHF 162

$185 CHF 152

6.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,679 CHF 1,383

$2,816 CHF 2,320

-40.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 CHF 1,186

$2,103 CHF 1,732

-31.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 CHF 2,338

$4,789 CHF 3,945

-40.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 CHF 2,054

$3,670 CHF 3,023

-32.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.3K

$22.3K CHF 18.4K

-27.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.0K CHF 9,900

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

-23.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,268 CHF 5,986

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 Yens: 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

Yens

$1.4K 43.3%

Geneva

$2.1K 51.9% 46.1% $663

Groceries & Markets

Yens

$558 16.8%

Geneva

$591 14.6% 6% $33

Eating Out

Yens

$452 13.6%

Geneva

$473 11.7% 4.5% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yens

$352 10.6%

Geneva

$375 9.3% 6.4% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Yens

$242 7.3%

Geneva

$254 6.3% 5% $12

Getting Around

Yens

$147 4.4%

Geneva

$132 3.3% 10% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Yens

$138 4.1%

Geneva

$123 3% 10.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,679 in Yens 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $119 in Yens versus $132 in Geneva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $558 vs $591 – making Yens the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Yens

🇨🇭 Geneva

🕒 Local time

06:16 6:16 AM

Same time as Yens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,200

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

Yens vs Geneva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Geneva is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,993 per month in Yens 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 Yens, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% 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 $119 in Yens 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 $3,329 in Yens and $4,051 in Geneva. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Yens – 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 Yens. 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.