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Updated on 25 October 2026
Rents in and around Geneva: where to rent for less in 2026
Geneva is one of the tightest markets in Switzerland: on 1 June 2026, only 0.31% of homes were vacant, the 2nd lowest rate in the country after Zug (0.20%), compared with 0.93% for Switzerland as a whole (Federal Statistical Office). Here are average rents, from official, dated sources only, followed by a tool to see what your salary allows.
Watch out: in Geneva, the kitchen counts as a room
Geneva listings and statistics count the kitchen as a room (Geneva's statistical Mémento says "kitchen included"). A Geneva "4-room" flat is therefore usually a living room and 2 bedrooms, what would be called 3 rooms elsewhere in Switzerland or a T3 in France. Keep this in mind when comparing prices.
My rent budget
Don't know your net pay? Work it out with the gross to net salary calculator.
Cautious benchmark, a third of your net pay: 2,000 CHF
A third of net pay is a cautious benchmark, not a legal rule. Add the charges (heating, hot water, depending on the building), household insurance and the rent deposit of at most 3 months. Average rents: cantonal statistics office, May 2025.
Work out your exact net salary, resident or cross-border.
Gross to net salary calculatorAverage rents in Geneva (May 2025)
| Housing | All homes | Free market, current leases | Free market, built after 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 rooms | 1,295 CHF | 1,387 CHF | 1,728 CHF |
| 4 rooms | 1,586 CHF | 1,676 CHF | 2,312 CHF |
| 5 rooms | 1,907 CHF | 2,008 CHF | 2,993 CHF |
Monthly rents excluding charges, kitchen counted as a room (cantonal statistics office, Mémento statistique 2026, May 2025 survey). The "all homes" average includes subsidised flats and old leases: for a flat you rent today on the free market, look at the last 2 columns instead.
- When the tenant changes, the rent of a free-market home rose by 8.8% on average in Geneva in 2024, compared with 0.9% for tenants who stayed (cantonal statistics office).
- Over one year, Geneva rents rose by 1.3% between May 2025 and May 2026; the FSO's Swiss rent index rose by 1.1% over the same period (as reported by the cantonal statistics office).
- The reference mortgage rate has been 1.25% since 2 September 2025, confirmed on 1 September 2026 (Federal Housing Office). Next publication: 1 December 2026.
Comparing with other cantons
| Canton | Average rent, 3 to 4 rooms, kitchen not counted (2022) | Vacant homes (June 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Geneva | 1,530 CHF | 0.34 % |
| Vaud | 1,535 CHF | 0.89 % |
| Neuchâtel | 1,098 CHF | 1.82 % |
| Fribourg | 1,356 CHF | 1.11 % |
| Valais | 1,289 CHF | 1.18 % |
| Bern | 1,317 CHF | 1.12 % |
| Basel-Stadt | 1,498 CHF | 0.92 % |
| Zurich | 1,728 CHF | 0.48 % |
| Switzerland | 1,478 CHF | 1.00 % |
Net monthly rents from the Federal Statistical Office (structural survey, latest cantonal map published: end of 2022) and vacancy rates on 1 June 2025. Note that the FSO counts rooms without the kitchen, unlike Geneva. Per square metre, in 2024 a home cost on average 21.1 CHF a month in Geneva, 21.3 in Zurich, 15.8 in Fribourg and 17.8 for Switzerland. In Vaud, the provisional vacancy rate on 1 June 2026 is 0.87% (Statistique Vaud).
The French side: towns around Geneva
| Town | Flat, €/m² | i.e. 52 m² | 3+ rooms, €/m² | i.e. 72 m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annemasse | 21.0 | 1,091 € | 20.7 | 1,488 € |
| Ambilly | 21.3 | 1,107 € | 19.8 | 1,423 € |
| Gaillard | 17.7 | 921 € | 15.9 | 1,144 € |
| Saint-Julien-en-Genevois | 21.9 | 1,136 € | 21.0 | 1,514 € |
| Ferney-Voltaire | 26.1 | 1,359 € | 22.2 | 1,599 € |
| Saint-Genis-Pouilly | 22.6 | 1,173 € | 21.9 | 1,575 € |
| Gex | 21.2 | 1,101 € | 20.2 | 1,458 € |
| Divonne-les-Bains | 27.9 | 1,448 € | 27.0 | 1,946 € |
| Thonon-les-Bains | 16.9 | 877 € | 15.4 | 1,111 € |
| Évian-les-Bains | 19.2 | 1,000 € | 18.4 | 1,326 € |
| Annecy | 20.4 | 1,063 € | 18.0 | 1,294 € |
ANIL estimates, 2025 rent map of the French Ministry for the Ecological Transition: advertised monthly rents, charges included, unfurnished flats let in the 3rd quarter of 2025. The 52 m² and 72 m² sizes are the study's reference sizes; amounts are calculated from unrounded values. These rents are in euros and include charges, whereas the Swiss rents above are in francs and exclude charges: compare with care, and add the cost of commuting.
Living in France and working in Geneva: tax, health insurance, transport.
Living on the French sideSources
- FSO: vacant homes on 1 June 2026 (press release)
- Statistique Genève: Mémento statistique 2026 (May 2025 rents)
- Statistique Genève: rent infographic (change of tenant, 2024)
- Statistique Genève: statistical bulletins no. 06 and 08, 2026 (rent trends)
- FSO statistical atlas: average rent of 3 to 4-room homes by canton (2022)
- FSO: vacant homes on 1 June 2025 by canton
- Fribourg statistics: FSO 2024 rents (rent per square metre by canton)
- Statistique Vaud: vacant homes 2026
- Federal Housing Office: reference mortgage rate
- French Ministry for the Ecological Transition: rent map
- data.gouv.fr: advertised rent indicators by town, 2025
This topic is part of the guide « Housing »