City comparison
Amsterdam vs Geneva: which is better to live in?
Quick verdict
Amsterdam is the cheaper of the two: our estimate for a single person is about €1,100 a month less than Geneva, mostly because of rent. They’re in different countries, so visa routes, taxes and healthcare differ too: see below.
Choose Amsterdam for
- Culture
- English-friendliness
- Walkability
- Beach life
- Lower living costs
Choose Geneva for
- Mountains nearby
- Nature & green space
- Sunny, warm climate
- Safety
Amsterdam vs Geneva at a glance
| Amsterdam | Geneva | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Netherlands | Switzerland |
| Single budget / month | €3,100 | €4,200 |
| Couple budget / month | €4,500 | €6,200 |
| 1-bed rent, center | €1,900 | €2,300 |
| Winter highs (Dec to Feb) | 7°C / 44°F | 6°C / 43°F |
| Summer highs (Jun to Aug) | 22°C / 71°F | 26°C / 78°F |
| Sunshine (hours/yr) | 1,780 | 1,887 |
| City size | Capital / metropolis | Large city |
| Coastal | No | No |
| Direct flights to the US | Yes | Yes |
| Affordability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Sunny, warm climate | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| English-friendliness | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Safety | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Walkability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Public transport | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nature & green space | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Beach life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Mountains nearby | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Culture | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nightlife | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Family life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Remote-work scene | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Expat community | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Flights home | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Calm, slower pace | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
Cost of living: Amsterdam or Geneva?
By our estimates, a comfortable mid-range life costs about €3,100 a month for one person in Amsterdam and €4,200 in Geneva, rent included. For a couple it’s €4,500 vs €6,200, and for a family of four €5,850 vs €8,300.
Rent drives most of the gap: a one-bedroom in the center runs about €1,900 in Amsterdam against €2,300 in Geneva, while a monthly transit pass costs €100 vs €75. Want to plug in your own lifestyle? Use the cost of living calculator.
Climate and weather
Winters average highs of about 7°C (44°F) in Amsterdam and 6°C (43°F) in Geneva. In summer it’s roughly 22°C vs 26°C. Amsterdam gets about 1,780 hours of sunshine a year and Geneva about 1,887.
1,780 hours of sunshine a year · 850 mm of rain a year · Source: KNMI 1991-2020 normals (Amsterdam Schiphol), via the Wikipedia climate table
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6°C / 43°F | 1°C / 34°F |
| Feb | 7°C / 44°F | 1°C / 34°F |
| Mar | 10°C / 50°F | 3°C / 37°F |
| Apr | 14°C / 58°F | 5°C / 41°F |
| May | 18°C / 64°F | 9°C / 47°F |
| Jun | 20°C / 69°F | 11°C / 52°F |
| Jul | 23°C / 73°F | 14°C / 56°F |
| Aug | 22°C / 72°F | 13°C / 56°F |
| Sep | 19°C / 67°F | 11°C / 52°F |
| Oct | 15°C / 58°F | 8°C / 46°F |
| Nov | 10°C / 50°F | 5°C / 40°F |
| Dec | 7°C / 44°F | 2°C / 35°F |
1,887 hours of sunshine a year · 946 mm of rain a year · Source: MeteoSwiss 1991-2020 normals (Geneva-Cointrin), via the Wikipedia climate table
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5°C / 41°F | -1°C / 30°F |
| Feb | 7°C / 45°F | -1°C / 30°F |
| Mar | 12°C / 53°F | 2°C / 35°F |
| Apr | 16°C / 61°F | 5°C / 41°F |
| May | 20°C / 68°F | 9°C / 48°F |
| Jun | 24°C / 76°F | 13°C / 55°F |
| Jul | 27°C / 80°F | 15°C / 58°F |
| Aug | 26°C / 79°F | 14°C / 58°F |
| Sep | 21°C / 70°F | 11°C / 51°F |
| Oct | 16°C / 60°F | 7°C / 45°F |
| Nov | 9°C / 49°F | 3°C / 37°F |
| Dec | 6°C / 42°F | -0°C / 32°F |
Daily life
Amsterdam is a capital / metropolis; Geneva is a large city. Amsterdam is the most international city in our set: English works nearly everywhere, the cycling is easy, and Schiphol connects you to almost anywhere. The cost is housing: rent is among the highest we cover and finding a flat is competitive. Geneva is the most international city in Switzerland, with the UN, Red Cross and a deep French-speaking expat community, plus the Alps and lake on the doorstep. It is also extremely pricey and rental vacancy is tiny, so many workers live in nearby France.
Living in Amsterdam: the upsides and downsides
- English works in shops, offices and most municipal services
- Flat, bike-first, compact
- Schiphol nonstops to many US and Canadian cities
- Downside: Rent and housing scarcity, with long waits for mid-priced rentals
- Downside: Rainy, windy, mild weather with limited sunshine
Living in Geneva: the upsides and downsides
- Large English-speaking international community and organizations
- Lake and Alps; skiing within about an hour
- Very safe and well-run, with good transit and a lake boat network
- Downside: Among the highest costs in our set and tiny vacancy rates
- Downside: Non-EU permits are quota-limited and tied to an employer
Visas and residency
Amsterdam is in Netherlands and Geneva is in Switzerland. The main routes for each:
- Netherlands DAFT Visa (Dutch American Friendship Treaty) - Entrepreneur route, open, €4,500 investment
- Netherlands Highly Skilled Migrant Permit - Work permit, open, €5,942/mo income
- Switzerland B Work Permit (non-EU quotas) - Work permit, open
Read the full guides: living in Amsterdam and living in Geneva.
Related comparisons
- Amsterdam vs Rotterdam
- Dublin vs Amsterdam
- Zurich vs Geneva
- Berlin vs Amsterdam
- Amsterdam vs Cork
- Geneva vs Munich
- Amsterdam vs Munich
- Amsterdam vs Zurich
Costs are our estimates for a comfortable mid-range lifestyle; scores are editorial, relative to the 40 cities we cover. Methodology.